A woman born in South Korea and later living in New Zealand, Hakyung Lee, was given a life prison sentence on Wednesday for the murder of her two young children—a case that came to light when their remains were discovered inside suitcases in an abandoned storage locker over three years ago, New Zealand media reported.
Lee was found guilty in September after admitting to killing her children, aged eight and six, in 2018—shortly after their father died of cancer the previous year.
Although she pleaded not guilty due to insanity and conducted her own defense with support from two lawyers, her legal team argued during sentencing that a life term would be excessive due to her mental health struggles. Prosecutors countered, noting there was no evidence she was suicidal at the time of the murders, according to The New Zealand Herald.
Justice Geoffrey Venning imposed the life sentence, dismissing calls for a reduced penalty. However, he ordered that Lee initially undergo compulsory treatment at a secure psychiatric facility, with the stipulation that she will return to prison once considered mentally stable.
“You understood that what you were doing was morally wrong… perhaps you could not bear your children reminding you of your former happier life,” Venning stated.
Lee must serve a minimum of 17 years before being eligible for parole.
Life imprisonment is the maximum sentence permitted in New Zealand, which abolished capital punishment in 1989.
During the trial, it was revealed that Lee administered an overdose of prescription medication to the children in 2018, then wrapped their bodies in plastic bags and concealed them in suitcases.
The remains were discovered in 2022 by a family who had purchased the contents of the storage unit in an online auction. New Zealand police subsequently opened a murder investigation. Lee, who had relocated to South Korea in 2018, was extradited to New Zealand in November 2022 to stand trial.
