Mother on trial for suitcase deaths of children, jury told antidepressant traces found

The trial of Hakyung Lee, accused of killing her children Minu and Yuna Jo in 2018 and concealing their bodies in suitcases found in an Auckland storage unit years later, has opened in the High Court.

Crown prosecutors allege Lee drugged and killed the children months after her husband’s death, pointing to her concealment of the bodies and overseas travel as signs she knew her actions were wrong.

The defence argues Lee was driven insane by grief and sought to end her children’s suffering, urging jurors to return a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. The case includes evidence of antidepressant traces in the children’s remains, financial troubles leading to discovery, and PlayStation activity marking their final moments.

The trial continues.