The father of a US PhD student who died after being attacked at an Auckland bus stop says his son was a "gentle and caring soul" who was deeply committed to his science.
Kyle Austin Whorrall was attacked at a bus stop on St Johns Rd in Meadowbank shortly after going to a supermarket about 9.40pm on Saturday.
A 16-year-old boy 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 — both have appeared in court on Thursday and were remanded in custody.
Speaking to RNZ, his father, John Whorrall, who lives in the US said he and his family remained in "shock".
"I'm becoming more disgusted as this case goes on."
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His son had a "normal enough upbringing" in Southern California.
"He always had a keen interest in nature and bugs in particular. I always tried to encourage this with nature outings and we did camp outs, fishing trips, fossil hunting expeditions."
He graduated from high school and was accepted at the University of California, Riverside where he earned his BA in entomology. He then went to university in Kentucky and earned his masters.
Whorrall "fell in love" with New Zealand many years ago after visiting with some of his family.
"[He] dreamed of finishing his schooling there," his father said.
Whorrall moved to New Zealand four years ago to pursue a PhD in entymology at the University of Auckland, and was also working at the crown research institute Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.
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"Auckland was the last step before earning his PhD, and he would've completed his education," his father said.
Whorrall was an "excellent student and loved and respected by friends and teachers alike".
"[He was] always 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."
John Whorrall last saw his son about 18 months ago, and saw several of his seminars as a guest.
"Kyle loved it there and made a new family of friends. I've been sure he would live there, maybe become a professor at the college and I couldn't have been prouder or happier."
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His son's death was "such a waste".
A week on, John Whorrall said his first reaction when he heard his son had been killed was "total disbelief" followed by "total shock".
He said he was "angry and bitter", about what had happened.
More than 50 members of the community, friends and colleagues of Whorrall gathered for a vigil on Thursday morning 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.
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"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," he added.
A family friend has started a Gofundme page to support Whorrall's family with travel and funeral expenses. It had raised more than $46,000 by Friday morning.
By Sam Sherwood of rnz.co.nz
