A woman has been convicted of killing her two children and concealing their bodies in suitcases, which were later purchased at an auction by a different family.

The bodies of Yuna Jo and Minu Jo, aged eight and six when they died, were found in suitcases acquired at a storage unit auction in August 2022. Authorities estimated that the children had been deceased for three to four years before their remains were discovered.

Hakyung Lee, 44, the mother of the children, had denied responsibility for their deaths but was found guilty by the jury following a brief two-hour deliberation. She now faces a potential life sentence in prison, with a minimum term of at least ten years.

Lee, a New Zealand citizen originally from South Korea, was extradited from her homeland in 2022 after an investigation identified her as the mother of the deceased children. She was convicted of murder at Auckland High Court after a two-week trial.

The bodies of Yuna and Minu were uncovered when Lee stopped paying rent for the storage unit in Auckland due to financial issues in 2022. The unit’s contents were auctioned online, leading to the discovery of the bodies by the buyers.

During the trial, it was revealed that both children were found fully dressed and wrapped individually in multiple layers of plastic bags.

A post-mortem examination indicated challenges in determining the exact cause of the siblings’ deaths due to the four-year gap between their killing and the recovery of their remains. It was suggested that the children died from homicide involving unspecified means, including the use of Nortriptyline, an antidepressant.

The court learned that Lee obtained a prescription for the medication in August 2017, following her husband’s cancer diagnosis. The defense argued that Lee’s mental state deteriorated after her husband’s passing, leading her to believe it was best for the family to die together.

Although admitting to killing her children, Lee’s defense claimed she was not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors, however, contended that Lee’s actions, including concealing the bodies and changing identities, demonstrated rational thinking.

Crown prosecutor Natalie Walker asserted that Lee’s behaviors showed she was acting deliberately to end her children’s lives and cover up her actions, rather than due to mental instability.

Walker further suggested that the killings were a selfish attempt by Lee to relieve herself of the responsibility of parenting alone.

When the jury delivered the guilty verdict, Lee showed no reaction and will be sentenced in November.