In New Zealand, Hakyung Lee, a mother of two, has been found guilty of killing her children and stashing their bodies in suitcases. On Tuesday (Sep 23), the ruling in the high-profile case that came to be known as the ‘New Zealand suitcase murders’ was announced. The gruesome murder drew international attention and shocked many with its horrific details. Lee, "in sound mind, deliberately murdered" her children, eight-year-old Yuna Jo and six-year-old Minu Jo, before stuffing their corpses into suitcases, noted the prosecutor in her summary. What could cause a mother to murder her own children? Horrifying details of the 'Suicide murders' here.<h2>Why did Hakyung Lee kill her children?</h2>The mother of two, as per reports, went into depression after her husband Ian Jo was diagnosed with cancer in 2017. Within five months of the diagnosis, he died, leaving behind Lee and their two children.According to reports, in the lead-up to Jo's death, the mother of two on several occasions had suggested that she and her children would also die if he did. She had allegedly also texted him saying, "if you die I will die along with our two kids". She had even told her friend that she would've been less sad if the children had died instead of her husband Ian Jo.<h2>The horrifying way in which the bodies were discovered</h2>According to a BBC report, on 10 August 2022, two people in New Zealand won an auction for an abandoned storage locker. They purchased the abandoned locker, which was filled with household items including bikes, clothing and two suitcases for $401 New Zealand dollars ($238). Later, they made a horrifying discovery - the bodies of two children tightly wrapped in plastic bags stuffed inside the suitcases.The children were identified as Yuna Jo and Minu Jo, who were eight and six when they were killed, and the storage locker was found to belong to their mother Hakyung Lee.Autopsy of the corpses found no signs of trauma, but traces of Nortriptyline, an antidepressant were found in the chest cavity and liver of both the kids. The drug was prescribed to Lee when she told a doctor that she had trouble sleeping and felt dizzy following her husband's cancer diagnosis.<h2>How was Lee arrested?</h2>Lee was arrested in September 2022 in Ulsan, South Korea, after a global red notice was released against her. Prosecutors at the beginning of her trial alleged that Lee changed her name and relocated to South Korea a month after killing her children.Hakyung Lee's lawyers argued that the death of her husband in 2017 had sent her into a depressive spiral. A forensic psychiatrist testified that she had experienced deep depression, suicidal thoughts, and guilt, and that she believed ending her children’s lives was the morally right action.The prosecution, however, presented a contrasting narrative. They pointed to Lee’s efforts to conceal the bodies, her decision to leave the country, and steps she had taken to distance herself from her previous life — including changing her name and severing ties with New Zealand — as evidence that she knew her actions were wrong.&nbsp;

WION Explains | The gory details of New Zealand’s gruesome suitcase murders, which saw a mother kill her two children and abandon their bodies stuffed in suitcases. All you need to know.

In New Zealand, Hakyung Lee, a mother of two, has been found guilty of killing her children and stashing their bodies in suitcases. On Tuesday (Sep 23), the ruling in the high-profile case that came to be known as the ‘New Zealand suitcase murders’ was announced. The gruesome murder drew international attention and shocked many with its horrific details. Lee, "in sound mind, deliberately murdered" her children, eight-year-old Yuna Jo and six-year-old Minu Jo, before stuffing their corpses into suitcases, noted the prosecutor in her summary. What could cause a mother to murder her own children? Horrifying details of the 'Suicide murders' here. Why did Hakyung Lee kill her children? The mother of two, as per reports, went into depression after her husband Ian Jo was diagnosed with cancer in 2017. Within five months of the diagnosis, he died, leaving behind Lee and their two children. According to reports, in the lead-up to Jo's death, the mother of two on several occasions had suggested that she and her children would also die if he did. She had allegedly also texted him saying, "if you die I will die along with our two kids". She had even told her friend that she would've been less sad if the children had died instead of her husband Ian Jo. The horrifying way in which the bodies were discovered According to a BBC report, on 10 August 2022, two people in New Zealand won an auction for an abandoned storage locker. They purchased the abandoned locker, which was filled with household items including bikes, clothing and two suitcases for $401 New Zealand dollars ($238). Later, they made a horrifying discovery - the bodies of two children tightly wrapped in plastic bags stuffed inside the suitcases. The children were identified as Yuna Jo and Minu Jo, who were eight and six when they were killed, and the storage locker was found to belong to their mother Hakyung Lee. Autopsy of the corpses found no signs of trauma, but traces of Nortriptyline, an antidepressant were found in the chest cavity and liver of both the kids. The drug was prescribed to Lee when she told a doctor that she had trouble sleeping and felt dizzy following her husband's cancer diagnosis. How was Lee arrested? Lee was arrested in September 2022 in Ulsan, South Korea, after a global red notice was released against her. Prosecutors at the beginning of her trial alleged that Lee changed her name and relocated to South Korea a month after killing her children. Hakyung Lee's lawyers argued that the death of her husband in 2017 had sent her into a depressive spiral. A forensic psychiatrist testified that she had experienced deep depression, suicidal thoughts, and guilt, and that she believed ending her children’s lives was the morally right action. The prosecution, however, presented a contrasting narrative. They pointed to Lee’s efforts to conceal the bodies, her decision to leave the country, and steps she had taken to distance herself from her previous life — including changing her name and severing ties with New Zealand — as evidence that she knew her actions were wrong.

WION Explains | The gory details of New Zealand’s gruesome suitcase murders, which saw a mother kill her two children and abandon their bodies stuffed in suitcases. All you need to know.

WION explains New Zealand's suitcase murders: Gory details of the chilling case of a mother, her children, and a dark secret

In New Zealand, a mother of two was found guilty on Tuesday (Sep 23) of killing her children and stashing their bodies in suitcases. Announcing the ruling in the high-profile case that came to be known as the ‘New Zealand suitcase murders’ and drew international attention, the prosecutor in her summary noted that the woman Hakyung Lee, "in sound mind, deliberately murdered" her children, eight-year-old Yuna Jo and six-year-old Minu Jo, before stuffing their corpses into suitcases.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-tells-pregnant-women-to-tough-it-out-without-paracetamol-claims-amish-have-no-autism-because-they-lack-tylenol-1758589438052">Trump tells pregnant women to ‘tough it out’ without paracetamol, claims Amish have ‘no autism’ because they lack Tylenol</a><h2>The chilling murders</h2>Hakyung Lee, 45, a New Zealand citizen originally from South Korea, was extradited from Seoul in 2022 after the remains of her children, Yuna and Minu Jo, were discovered in a storage unit in South Auckland. The children, aged eight and six at the time of their deaths, had been dead for at least three to four years before the discovery.Lee had confessed to killing her children, so the trial focused not on whether she committed the murders, but on her mental state at the time. Under New Zealand law, defendants are presumed sane unless proven otherwise, meaning it was up to the defence to establish that Lee was not criminally responsible due to insanity.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-militarist-anarchist-enterprise-trump-signs-order-branding-antifa-a-terrorist-organisation-1758594113007">‘Militarist, anarchist enterprise’: Trump signs order branding Antifa a terrorist organisation</a><h2>Mental insanity or planned murders</h2>Hakyung Lee's lawyers argued that the death of her husband in 2017 had sent her into a depressive spiral. A forensic psychiatrist testified that she had experienced deep depression, suicidal thoughts, and guilt, and that she believed ending her children’s lives was the morally right action.The prosecution, however, presented a contrasting narrative. They pointed to Lee’s efforts to conceal the bodies, her decision to leave the country, and steps she had taken to distance herself from her previous life — including changing her name and severing ties with New Zealand — as evidence that she knew her actions were wrong. “Ms Lee deliberately, and in sound mind, deliberately murdered Minu and Yuna,” prosecutor Natalie Walker said in her closing statement, calling for a verdict of guilty.After just two hours of deliberation, the jury at Auckland High Court returned guilty verdicts. Justice Geoffrey Venning acknowledged the natural sympathy jurors might feel for the children and, separately, for Lee herself, but emphasised the importance of basing the verdict on evidence.Lee now faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years. Before being sent to prison, she may be detained in a mental health facility under a compulsory treatment order. Sentencing is scheduled for November.Throughout the three-week trial, Lee remained largely silent, sitting with her head bowed and hair obscuring her face. Although she technically represented herself, she did not participate in or ask questions during the proceedings. &nbsp;

In a high-profile case known as the "New Zealand suitcase murders," a jury on Tuesday found Hakyung Lee, a mother of two, guilty of the murders of her children. 

In New Zealand, a mother of two was found guilty on Tuesday (Sep 23) of killing her children and stashing their bodies in suitcases. Announcing the ruling in the high-profile case that came to be known as the ‘New Zealand suitcase murders’ and drew international attention, the prosecutor in her summary noted that the woman Hakyung Lee, "in sound mind, deliberately murdered" her children, eight-year-old Yuna Jo and six-year-old Minu Jo, before stuffing their corpses into suitcases. Also read | Trump tells pregnant women to ‘tough it out’ without paracetamol, claims Amish have ‘no autism’ because they lack Tylenol The chilling murders Hakyung Lee, 45, a New Zealand citizen originally from South Korea, was extradited from Seoul in 2022 after the remains of her children, Yuna and Minu Jo, were discovered in a storage unit in South Auckland. The children, aged eight and six at the time of their deaths, had been dead for at least three to four years before the discovery. Lee had confessed to killing her children, so the trial focused not on whether she committed the murders, but on her mental state at the time. Under New Zealand law, defendants are presumed sane unless proven otherwise, meaning it was up to the defence to establish that Lee was not criminally responsible due to insanity. Also read | ‘Militarist, anarchist enterprise’: Trump signs order branding Antifa a terrorist organisation Mental insanity or planned murders Hakyung Lee's lawyers argued that the death of her husband in 2017 had sent her into a depressive spiral. A forensic psychiatrist testified that she had experienced deep depression, suicidal thoughts, and guilt, and that she believed ending her children’s lives was the morally right action. The prosecution, however, presented a contrasting narrative. They pointed to Lee’s efforts to conceal the bodies, her decision to leave the country, and steps she had taken to distance herself from her previous life — including changing her name and severing ties with New Zealand — as evidence that she knew her actions were wrong. “Ms Lee deliberately, and in sound mind, deliberately murdered Minu and Yuna,” prosecutor Natalie Walker said in her closing statement, calling for a verdict of guilty. After just two hours of deliberation, the jury at Auckland High Court returned guilty verdicts. Justice Geoffrey Venning acknowledged the natural sympathy jurors might feel for the children and, separately, for Lee herself, but emphasised the importance of basing the verdict on evidence. Lee now faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years. Before being sent to prison, she may be detained in a mental health facility under a compulsory treatment order. Sentencing is scheduled for November. Throughout the three-week trial, Lee remained largely silent, sitting with her head bowed and hair obscuring her face. Although she technically represented herself, she did not participate in or ask questions during the proceedings.

In a high-profile case known as the "New Zealand suitcase murders," a jury on Tuesday found Hakyung Lee, a mother of two, guilty of the murders of her children.

Mother of two found guilty of killing children in New Zealand’s chilling ‘suitcase murders’ case

suitcase-murders

Suitcase Murders, News on Suitcase Murders, stories on Suitcase Murders, articles on Suitcase Murders, Suitcase Murders stories at Wion, Suitcase Murders news, Suitcase Murders latest news

suitcase murders

WION explains New Zealand's suitcase murders: Gory details of the chilling case of a mother, her children, and a dark secret

Mother of two found guilty in New Zealand’s chilling ‘suitcase murders’ case