New Zealand’s “Suitcase Murders”: Mother Convicted of Killing Her Two Children

In a case known as New Zealand’s “suitcase murders,” a mother has been found guilty of murdering her children and concealing their bodies within suitcases. The eight and six-year-old victims, Yuna Jo and Minu Jo, were discovered in August 2022, three to four years after their deaths. Hakyung Lee, a 45-year-old New Zealand citizen from South Korea, was identified as the children’s mother. Extracted from South Korea in 2022, Lee did not speak throughout the trial, invoking insanity due to her depression following her husband’s cancer death in 2017. Despite her representation, Jury found Lee guilty after just two hours of deliberation. Lee now faces life in prison with a minimum of a decade in prison without parole.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/23/new-zealand-suitcase-murders-mother-found-guilty-of-killing-her-two-children