St Johns Rd bus stop death: Victim was Kyle Whorrall, an American entomology student

• The victim of a fatal bus stop attack on Saturday was an American PhD student who was studying entomology.
• Police are seeking a black SUV and its occupants which they believe was involved in the attack.
• They are also seeking “critical witnesses” in a white Toyota ute.

The victim of a “senseless” attack at an Auckland bus stop has been named by colleagues as US doctoral student Kyle Whorrall.

Whorrall, 33 - who was studying entomology and may have been out looking for insects when he was assaulted - died in hospital after being attacked on St Johns Rd in Meadowbank on Saturday night.

A manhunt is underway for those responsible. Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said police are seeking a midsize black SUV and its occupants who they believe are involved.

They are also seeking “critical witnesses” in a white Toyota ute driving in a westerly direction along St Johns Rd which had been cut off by the SUV. Police believe they will have witnessed erratic driving.

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The police are seeking to clarify the victim’s movements on Saturday.

He went to a supermarket - understood to be Woolworths on Gerard Way - and purchased some items about 9.40pm before walking to the bus stop about 400m away.

They are trying to understand why he stopped at the bus stop.

He did not flag down a bus.

Prior to the attack, the SUV did a U-turn on St Johns Road at around 9.51pm.

“While doing so, a member of the public has had to bring their vehicle to an abrupt stop,” Baldwin said.

The white ute that was cut off had a black roll cage sports bar on it.

“I would like to stress that the occupants of this white ute are witnesses, and they are not involved in the homicide.

“I urge any occupants of that vehicle to contact us as you may have crucial information to our investigation.”

Just before 10pm, the black SUV came to a stop near the bus shelter, with at least two offenders exiting the vehicle, Baldwin said.

“There is possibly a third offender and or other occupants may have been driving this vehicle at the time, and this is forming part of the investigation.

“The victim was subjected to a senseless attack, leaving him with multiple head injuries.“No one should be subjected to the appalling level of violence that the victim suffered on Saturday night.”

The vehicle fled the scene at speed towards College Road.

People who witnessed the attack called emergency services, who responded quickly.

The victim succumbed to his injuries at Auckland Hospital.

Baldwin said police had been contacted by a number of people with key information over the past couple of days.

“The victim was subjected to a senseless attack which left him with serious head injuries.

“He did nothing wrong. He was sitting at a bus stop.”

Police had not identified or located the weapon involved.

Baldwin said police were still in the process of formally identifying the victim.

“This is a life-changing event for [the family] and a horrible event that will endure with them for some time.

“This is not the news that anyone would want to receive.”

Colleagues name victim

Fellow students and former colleagues identified Kyle Whorrall as they paid tribute.

Originally from the US, he was a University of Auckland PhD student who had been in the country for around four years.

Auckland University student Kyle Whorrall was attacked at a bus stop and died later in hospital.

He was based at Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, which has an office in St Johns about 3km from where he was attacked.

Whorrall was studying a highly specialised area of entomology and was invited to New Zealand to research his doctorate. Colleagues said he had nearly completed his thesis and was working overtime to finish it.

His supervisor told the Herald it was too soon for him comment.

Those who knew Whorrall said he was kind, thoughtful and deeply interested in his science.

Whorrall, 33, was an American student at the University of Auckland.

A former teacher in California described his death as “awful news”.

“One of our former UCR undergrad students, Kyle Whorrall, who was working on his dissertation ... in New Zealand, was killed in an assault at a bus stop in Auckland this past weekend,” he posted on Facebook.

“I’m sure all of his friends, family, and colleagues are in shock, as I am. Senseless and tragic.”

Whorrall was a member of the New Zealand Entomological Society of New Zealand, which described him as an expert on Coleoptera, or beetles.

The University of Auckland has said it would not release details while an investigation is underway, at the police’s request.

Police investigate on Sunday morning. Photo / Alex Burton

A police photographer gathers evidence. Photo / Alex Burton

The US Embassy also confirmed today it was aware of the death.

“The Embassy is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance to the family. Out of respect for the family, we have no further comment on the matter,” a spokesperson said.

Police say they do not know why the victim was at the bus stop at St Johns Rd about 10.10pm on Saturday, and believe he may have been waiting for a bus or sheltering from stormy weather.

But those who knew him said he was known for scouring beaches, reserves and bus stops in Meadowbank, Remuera and St Johns for beetles and other creatures, often at night.

They said that because most New Zealand insects were nocturnal, it was common for students to do field work in the evening or overnight.

Second entomologist killing

The St Johns Rd attack had echoes of another incident last year. In August, well-known entomologist Stephen Thorpe was killed in an alleged assault in Blockhouse Bay while on his daily search for specimens.

A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder in that case. Thorpe had also worked on and off for Landcare Research.

Landcare declined to comment while police investigations were under way.

Police swarmed the area. Photo / Alex Burton

Officers in boiler suits investigate. Photo / Alex Burton

Baldwin said yesterday they were speaking to the victim’s family and a formal identification process was ongoing. A post-mortem was scheduled for yesterday.

Police were still piecing together the events that led to the death and were unsure of the motive behind the attack.

Baldwin said police were seeking two people in relation to the incident. The suspects were believed to have driven away from the scene, heading towards Remuera Rd.

“We believe there are members of the public who may hold crucial information that can help us,” Baldwin said.

A manhunt is under way. Photo / Alex Burton

“Police urgently want to speak with anyone who saw suspicious activity in the area, around a bus stop near 69 St Johns Rd, between 9pm and 10pm.

“We especially need to hear from any motorists who have dashcam footage from around that area.”

Investigators were gathering and reviewing CCTV and tracking the victim’s movements throughout Saturday. A large investigations team was working on the case.

A scene examination on St Johns Rd, which was blocked to traffic on Sunday, has been completed.

Stephen French, who lives near the bus stop, said the violent incident would have a significant impact on the neighbourhood.

A blue forensic tent has been set up at a bus stop on the street. Photo / Hayden Woodward

With two retirement villages nearby, it was an older community. And there were also a large number of people who walked their dogs and were active in the area.

The apparent randomness of the attack would make residents afraid to walk the streets, he said.

“I’ve lived here for nearly 10 years and we’ve never had an incident like this before. I was really shocked. Really, really shocked. It’s going to have a far-reaching effect.”

Police have asked anyone with information that could assist the investigation to make a report via 105, using the reference number P062295607.

Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-nz.org.

Isaac Davison is a senior reporter for the New Zealand Herald and has a special interest in inequality, public housing, alcohol and drug reform, and euthanasia.

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