Kyle Whorrall, 33, was killed at a bus stop on St Johns Rd in Meadowbank, Auckland. Photo: SUPPLIED
Kyle Whorrall, 33, was killed at a bus stop on St Johns Road in Meadowbank, Auckland.
A remembrance for the 33-year-old PhD student killed in Auckland over Easter Weekend is expected to take place on Sunday afternoon.
Kyle Whorrall was attacked at a bus stop on St Johns Road in the suburb of Meadowbank shortly after going to a supermarket.
A 16-year-old male has been charged with murder and aggravated robbery, and a 32-year-old woman has been charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder.
A remembrance is being held at 3pm at a restaurant just down the road from where Whorrall was attacked.
Speaking to RNZ, his father John Whorrall said his son was a "gentle and caring soul" who was deeply committed to his science.
"It breaks my heart that he can't fulfil his final contributions in the world. I'm sure he would have made some amazing discoveries."
More than 50 members of the community, friends and colleagues of Whorrall gathered for a vigil on 24 April at the bus stop where was attacked.
Many left flowers, sang waiata, and shared emotional tributes to Whorrall, and sobs were heard throughout the crowd.
A friend and flatmate, who didn't want to be named, said the American student had left a deep impression on all of them.
"He was gentle, he was kind, he was very thoughtful, he was the kind of person who would just unapologetically geek out on anything he was passionate about, stuff most people wouldn't care about, but when he talked about it, you cared, because he cared so much about it," he said.
"He had a beautifully found family here in New Zealand, lots of people that cared about him."
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