'The best of our community': Naperville mayor mourns Eva Liu's death
Saying Eva Liu "represented the best of our community," Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli offered the city's condolences to her family and called for a moment of silence at the start of Tuesday's city council meeting.
Liu, 21, was killed on June 14 when a man pushed her off a mountain slope near the Neuschwanstein castle tourist site in southern Germany. The Naperville resident attended the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora and recently graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
"She was a vibrant, intelligent and a kind young woman with a bright future ahead of her," Wehrli said, adding he spoke with Liu's father Monday night.
While Liu's father and twin sister traveled to Germany to retrieve her body, Liu was remembered during services Sunday at her family's church, Living Water Evangelical Church in Naperville, where she was a member of the congregation's Overflow Youth Group.
A more formal prayer service and funeral arrangements are pending the family's return from Germany.
A GoFundMe online fundraiser has been started at gofundme.com/f/funds-to-bring-justice-for-eva-and-bring-her-home to help the family defer legal costs, and funeral and memorial expenses.
"Due to the uncertainties associated with this international case, the cost may become a significant financial burden to the family and could be a critical factor in the proceedings of the criminal and civil lawsuits," reads a message on the GoFundMe page.
Liu was traveling with her friend, 22-year-old Kelsey Chang of Bloomington, when authorities say they were attacked by a 30-year-old Michigan man who lured the women onto a trail overlooking the castle. Authorities haven't identified the suspect.
Liu was flown to a hospital with serious injuries and later died. Chang, who also was pushed down the 165-foot slope while rushing to Liu's aid, survived and was released from the hospital.
Amanda Wang, Liu's classmate at the University of Illinois, honored her friend at Tuesday's city council meeting.
"Eva was an intelligent, personable and kind person," Wang said. "Being with her filled you with joy."
The Michigan man was arrested and is being held on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and attempted sexual assault.
Wehrli asked at Tuesday's meeting that Liu's family be given privacy, and said updates would be provided at the Living Water Evangelical Church website at www.lwechurch.com.
"While nothing we say or do can take away the pain or the loss, I want Eva's entire family to know that all of Naperville supports you," Wehrli said. "We mourn with you."