Mom Convicted of Killing Her 2 Children and Storing Their Bodies in Suitcases

A mother accused of killing her two children and keeping their bodies in suitcases for several years has been found guilty.

On Tuesday, Sept. 23, Hakyung Lee was convicted over the deaths of Minu Jo, 6, and Yuna Jo, 8, in Auckland, New Zealand, according to NBC News.

The bodies of Minu and Yuna were found in suitcases inside an abandoned storage locker in Auckland in 2022 after a family member bought the items in an online auction when Lee stopped paying the rental fees, according to local media outlet RNZ. (The family member who bought the suitcases in the online auction was not connected to the killings, per The Sydney Morning Herald.)

During the two-week trial, Lee pled not guilty to two counts of murder, per BBC News. Her lawyers argued she was insane at the time of the killings, which PEOPLE previously reported took place in 2018.

Lee’s attorneys admitted she had killed the children using anti-depressant medication, but they say the deaths happened after she had “descended into madness,” per the NBC News. Lawyer Lorraine Smith said Lee’s mental health had become worse following her husband’s death.

According to the BBC, the killings came months after Lee’s husband died of cancer, however, prosecutors argued that the 44-year-old’s actions were calculated.

It took the jury around three hours before coming to their conclusion, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Lee reportedly had no reaction to the verdicts and kept her head down.

PEOPLE has contacted the New Zealand Police and the Auckland High Court for comment.

Following the deaths of her children, Lee moved to South Korea and changed her name, U.K. outlet The Independent reported.

The woman, who was born in South Korea with the birth name of Ji Eun Lee, was then extradited to New Zealand in November 2022.

The court heard that the use of the antidepressant Nortriptyline contributed to the deaths of the children, according to the BBC.

Lee had reportedly picked up the medication in August 2017, which was five months after her husband’s cancer diagnosis.

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Prosecutors told the court that while Lee may have been depressed, the defense would have had to prove she was incapable of understanding that her actions were wrong for her to claim insanity.

Prosecutor Natalie Walker told the court that Lee had a “cold calculation” and wanted to start a new life without her children, per NBC News.

Lee’s sentencing is set to take place on Nov. 26.

The judge ordered that Lee remain in custody until her sentencing. In New Zealand, murder carries a mandatory life sentence and judges are required to set a prison term of at least 10 years before the offending person can apply for parole, according to the outlet.