Father tells of sorrow at son's death

"The only thing left to me is pain and misery." These words came from Wan Guan Zhong yesterday, the father of Chinese teenager Wan Biao, found dead on Good Friday folded into a suitcase.

At a memorial ceremony in Auckland, Mr Wan stumbled and sobbed with grief as his son's friends filed past a shrine to say their private goodbyes.

"This is the most pain and misery I have been in my whole life. This totally destroyed my beautiful family. Nineteen years of caring and love, just destroyed in one night."

The teenager was farewelled with Buddhist prayers, speeches and a magnificent one-man haka. He was allegedly abducted and killed after his parents in China received a call asking for an $800,000 ransom.

Yachties found his body early on Good Friday in a suitcase floating in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour.

Three men have been charged in connection with the murder.

Wan Guan Zhong implored other Asian students to ask for help when they needed it.

Mr Wan's mother had been admitted to hospital after hearing of his death and had not travelled to New Zealand, he said.

But the weeping of other relatives - aunts, an uncle and a sister - could be heard over the Buddhist chants throughout the ceremony.

The family who hosted Mr Wan for his first four months in New Zealand were devastated at his death and had been staying out of Auckland to avoid media. His host father, who wanted to be known only as Jess, stunned mourners by performing the haka he had taught to Mr Wan.

He said the normally "happy chappy" student had been very lonely since he moved into a shared apartment five months ago, and had kept visiting his family every week for dinner and catch-ups.

"We got to know each other so well, he recognised me as a father."

The last time Jess saw Mr Wan, he had dragged him off his computer to show off his new car. He had just got a job working in a bar and seemed fine, Jess said.

A week later, he came home to find police in his lounge and joked "When you see Wan, you tell him I have many more carpark fines [for him to pay]... I felt so guilty."

Classmates from the Oxford International Academy, were too upset to speak. "I don't know the words," said one youth. "But I'm just very sad."

Detective Inspector Bernie Hollewand, deputy mayor Dr Bruce Hucker and National Asian liasion MP Pansy Wong all spoke at the memorial.

Mr Wan's body would be flown to China for burial, his father said.