Kiko's death sends father to bed

The parents of slain Chinese teenager Jiayi Li are getting support from their embassy. Photo / Greg Bowker

The father of slain Chinese teenager Kiko Jiayi Li is so distraught by his daughter's death that he has been unable to leave his hotel bed.

Miss Li's family arrived yesterday from China to identify the body of their daughter, which was found in the boot of her car nearly two weeks after she went missing.

Eason Xie, who is married to Miss Li's cousin, said Chang Kui Li had been sleeping all day. He has problems believed to be related to his heart and high blood pressure.

"He had to sleep. He can't believe what has happened. This is their only daughter."

Kiko's mother, Tan Wang, spent most of her time in the country consoling her husband, Mr Xie said.

The couple were so devastated that Mr Xie and Miss Li's uncle had to go to the morgue to identify Kiko's body yesterday afternoon.

Mr Xie referred to Kiko as his sister, saying they were each other's family. "In New Zealand, it's only me and my wife. We are alone here ... for me Kiko's like my real sister, we see each other, we share everything.

"My wife is totally sick as well, she can't do anything. She's just crying every day ... it's a really, really terrible time for us."

Police had told the family it would be some time before they had autopsy results and could tell the family what happened to Kiko.

"We want to know exactly what happened and who did it but also, we understand the procedure. I believe that they [police] are working very hard. We appreciate their hard work."

Mr Xie said funeral arrangements for Miss Li would be decided by her parents over the next few days.

Miss Li was last seen driving off in her car in Kingsland at 2am on May 19. Police believed she died that day.

Two Chinese men - Li Yong Xin, 18 and Yu Hong Lin, 20 - have been charged with her murder and aggravated robbery.

A third man, aged 19 and from Lynfield, appeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday afternoon charged with tampering with evidence to help Xin and Lin avoid conviction.

The man, whose parents supported him in the back of court, was granted interim name suppression and remanded in custody until his next appearance later this month.

Tom Gao of the Consulate of the People's Republic of China in Auckland, who was with the family yesterday, described the incident as "very sad", and said the Chinese consulate was working with the police to assist the family.

Additional reporting Elizabeth Binning