Horrified family find bodies stuffed in cases at storage unit they won at auction
Topics: Crime, New Zealand, World News
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Google Maps/NZ Herald
Topics: Crime, New Zealand, World News
A family were left horrified after finding suitcases containing several bodies in a storage locker they won at auction just a week beforehand.
On 11 August, 2022, police confirmed human remains were found after people living at a property on Moncrieff Ave, Auckland, New Zealand, brought 'unowned property to their address'.
Buyers are not allowed to sift through the contents before placing a bid on a storage unit, and it was only when they searched through the contents - which were suitcases - on their driveway that they made the chilling discovery.
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As per the New Zealand Herald, cops arrived at the Auckland home at around lunchtime on that August afternoon after being called by the horrified buyers.
Local officials subsequently launched a murder investigation as they searched for a serial killer, as investigators scrambled to determine how many victims were in the suitcases.
Witnesses told the New Zealand Herald that they saw three hearses outside the house as police cordoned off the property and removed the remains.
"Whatever happened... [they] must have been diced up, the way they carried the bodies in to the hearse," they said. "It was just a small distance handing the remains into the hearse.
"I could smell it here. I thought it was a dead cat or something. They brought it back on a trailer. How did they not pick up the smell?
"I knew that because I'm a pig hunter and when carcass go bad it's the same smell. That's why I thought it was a dead animal."
Meanwhile, another neighbor, Shelton Honana, told Newshub: "I feel sorry for the family because they've got nothing to do with it. Whoever did do it... front up. It's a bit unfair, bro. It's horrific, f**king scary."
Following media attention, the family decided to leave their home for a while, with a relative of the family saying they were 'doing all right' at the time.
When asked if the family members had any idea of how many bodies were in the unit, the man said they had no idea.
"I can't answer that. I wouldn't have a clue anyway. No, I don't think they know either. I don't think so," he said.
It was later confirmed the bodies of two children, Yuna and Minu Jo, were found in the suitcases.
In September 2022, Hakyung Lee, the mother of the children, was arrested and charged with their murder.
Her trial is scheduled for April 2024.