In a shocking case that has captivated New Zealand, a 44-year-old mother named Hakyung Lee has been found guilty of murdering her two children and concealing their bodies in suitcases. The crime took place several months after the death of her husband from cancer, which Lee’s defense team argued had severely impacted her mental health, suggesting that she committed the murders in a state of insanity.
However, prosecutors successfully argued that Lee’s actions were premeditated and deliberate, highlighting her rational behavior in hiding the children’s remains and changing her identity to live in South Korea. The children’s bodies were discovered in 2022 by a family who had bought the contents of a storage unit in Auckland at an auction. It was revealed that the bodies had no signs of trauma but were confirmed to have been killed, with one pathologist identifying the antidepressant Nortriptyline as a contributing factor to their deaths.
Lee was arrested in South Korea in September 2022 and extradited to New Zealand. She maintained her innocence throughout the trial, which lasted about two weeks, but the jury ultimately delivered a guilty verdict. During the court proceedings, Lee showed no reaction when the verdict was read.
Now, Lee faces the possibility of a life imprisonment sentence, marking the end of a highly publicized and deeply disturbing case that has gripped New Zealand and beyond.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2lxpvj19xdo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
