St Johns bus stop killing: Teen charged with murder, tearful vigil held

A 16-year-old youth has been remanded in custody after being charged with murdering Kyle Whorrall.

He was also facing a charge of aggravated robbery.

The accused youth entered no plea and would reappear in the High Court in May.

A 32-year-old woman also appeared this afternoon, charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact.

Charging documents alleged she actively suppressed evidence against the murder accused, by selling a vehicle, “in order to enable him to escape… arrest”.

She was granted interim name suppression and remanded in custody without plea to reappear at the same time as the murder-accused, in the High Court.

US PhD student Kyle Whorrall was attacked at a St Johns bus stop on Saturday night.

Police appealed for information about the “senseless attack” which left the 33-year-old in a critical condition before he died in hospital.

This morning, soon after the arrest was announced, grieving fellow students, flatmates and friends gathered for a emotional vigil at the site where Whorrall was set upon.

In an update from police, Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said officers carried out a search warrant at a Beach Haven address in the North Shore late yesterday afternoon.

“A 16-year-old male was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery and murder,” he said.

A 32-year-old North Shore woman was charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder.

Baldwin said the investigation “is by no means over” as police believed “there were other occupants in the vehicle” when Whorrall was attacked.

He said officers have since seized a black SUV on the North Shore, which was involved in the incident. It was being forensically examined by police.

“Our enquiries are ongoing to locate these persons of interest, and I encourage them to do the right thing and come into their nearest police station or phone us.”

The detective inspector said police were also seeking “critical witnesses”, including a white Toyota ute that was cut off by the black SUV doing a U-turn in front of them.

He said police were “still working to fully understand the events of Saturday night”.

“I want to reiterate to those occupants that they are witnesses, and their information is important to our investigation,” Baldwin said.

“Please come forward at the earliest opportunity.”

He acknowledged a “stream of information” provided to police, and the support from the St Johns community, and further afield.

Anyone with information was urged to contact police online, by calling 105, or provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Sister remembers ‘gentle soul’

Whorrall’s sister Heather Thomas said Kyle was a “witty and funny gentle soul with an absolute love for bugs and nature”.

She said there were “so many unknowns” and the expense to bring Kyle back home to the United States would be “significant”.

“I ask for your prayers for my mom, my sister and I – as well as our whole family and Kyle’s friends and colleagues during this difficult time.”

A GoFundMe page had been created to contribute to travel expenses between the US and NZ, funeral and memorial expenses, therapy and grief counselling, as well as legal, administrative and other unexpected costs.

“Thank you in advance to all who donate — whether you knew Kyle personally or simply wish to support the memory of a compassionate soul who cared so deeply for the world around him, especially its smallest creatures,” the page read.

Tributes flow at bus stop vigil

A vigil was held on Thursday morning at the bus stop where Kyle Whorrall was killed in Meadowbank.

Many mourners gathered together to grieve, and place flowers at stop on Blackett Crescent.

Speaking through tears, Whorrall’s flatmates — who didn’t want to be named — described him as “gentle, kind and very thoughtful”.

“He came here four years ago, on his own, and made an impression on all of us. He built up a network and had a beautiful found-family here in New Zealand with people who cared about him.”

Tributes, songs and blessings were shared with the emotional crowd, as many told stories and personal anecdotes about Whorral’s character.

A representative from University of Auckland partner Manaaki Whenua, where Whorrall studied his PhD, said he was a “gentle soul”.

“He was quiet, and shy, but everybody being here with us today is a testament to his character,” she said.

Pippa Barber said she was pleased the police had acted swiftly to arrest someone following the “just horrendous and horrific” crime.

“I’m relieved for Kyle’s family back in America, because can you imagine being so far away, and having your son taken from you. But I’m just so sad, so sad that it’s happened. It’s just awful.”

She said finding out the young age of the alleged offender was “shocking”.

St Johns resident Angie Winnington told 1News she lived just around the corner, and what had happened at her local bus stop was terrible.

She said she would usually do a similar route as Whorrall did, but earlier in the day, which was why it felt “very close to my heart in a weird way”.

“I’m also away from home, so I felt for him in that way. I know how hard it is for people’s parents who are nowhere near to them, who worry for them. My parents worry about me and I’m sure his parents are just devastated.”

Whorrall’s former US professor: ‘It just makes me so sad’

Whorrall’s former entomology professor at Western Kentucky University, Keith Philips, told 1News Kyle was an “enthusiastic field worker and a great entomologist”.

“We just had so many good times having a pint in different places after a days field work… He really loved the work and I just really loved being with him,” he said.

Philips said Whorrall had “really thought of New Zealand as home”, and had been planning to stay for the rest of his life.

“It just makes me so sad that he’s such a great kid and I really loved him. It was such a senseless act, you just have to ask why? It shouldn’t happen to anybody, but for somebody like Kyle it is just such a shame.”