New Zealand 'suitcase murders': Woman gets life in prison for killing her two children

Hakyung Lee killed her two kids and hid their bodies in suitcases months after her husband died of cancer.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationWatch DocumentariesTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of the Earth EarthWatch DocumentariesNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveNew Zealand woman gets life sentence for 'suitcase murders' of her children14 hours agoShareSaveKelly NgShareSaveTVNZHakyung Lee killed her two kids and hid their bodies in suitcases months after her husband died of cancerA mother in New Zealand who killed her two children and hid their bodies in suitcases has been sentenced to life in prison.

Hakyung Lee, who was found guilty in September of the shocking murders of eight-year-old Yuna Jo and six-year-old Minu Jo, has to spend at least 17 years behind bars before she is eligible for parole.

Lee, 45, argued she was insane at the time of the killings in 2018, which happened soon after her husband died. High Court judge Geoffrey Venning said Lee's mental health played a part in the case, but that her actions were calculated.

The children's remains were discovered only in 2022 by a couple who won an auction for the contents of an abandoned storage unit in Auckland.

During a trial lasting more than two weeks, Hakyung Lee's defence lawyers told the court that her mental health deteriorated after Jo's death, and that she came to believe it was best if the rest of the family died together.