'In one night, we lost a lifetime of our hope,' Jun Lin's father says

Diran Lin, father of Jun Lin leaves the Montreal Courthouse following the murder trial for Luka Rocco Magnotta, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2014. (Graham Hughes / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The father of Jun Lin says he is relieved that Luka Magnotta has been convicted of first-degree murder in the death and dismemberment of his son. But he says there will always be a hole in their family, and they will live with their pain forever.

Magnotta was found guilty Tuesday of Lin's murder, as well as four other counts related to Lin's dismemberment.

Following the verdict, a lawyer representing the Lin family read a letter on behalf of Lin's father, Diran Lin. It said the family has only suffered misery since Lin's death and that a chair at their home remains forever empty.

"The night Lin Jun died, parts of many other people died in one way or another," the statement read.

"In one night, we lost a lifetime of our hope, our futures, parts of our past."

His father said Lin was a brave, smart, laughing and caring son and he will always miss him. But he added that he now sees all memories of his son through his death.

"How he died, how he must have suffered, how humiliating his death has become with a movie, post office packages, and only the accused's story that it was not his fault," he said.

Lin's father added he was satisfied that justice has been done with the guilty verdict. But he said he had travelled from China to watch the trial in hopes of seeing some kind of expression of remorse from Magnotta or an apology. Instead, he said, he will leave with neither.

"I had come to learn what happened to my son that night and I leave without a true or complete answer," he said in the statement.

Lin's father attended every day of the 40-day trial and came to court all eight days the jury deliberated the verdict.

Flanked by a Chinese translator after the verdict was handed down, Lin’s father quietly wiped away tears from time to time as lawyer Daniel Urbas spoke on his behalf, thanking the jury, judge, police detectives, media and many others involved in the case.

Urbas said Lin’s father also wanted Magnotta’s father, who testified duringthe trial, to know that he doesn’t blame him for what Magnotta did.

Jun Lin came to Montreal from China to study computer engineering at Concordia University and worked as a convenience store clerk. While there was never any dispute during the trial that Magnotta caused Lin's death, his defence tried to argue that Magnotta had schizophrenia that caused him to suffer a psychotic episode that led to Lin's killing.

The Crown argued Magnotta was misdiagnosed, that his unusual behaviour was the result of a personality disorder, and that he was fully aware of right and wrong when he killed Lin.

Urbas said the guilty verdict comes just days before Lin’s birthday on Dec. 30, making it an especially bitter-sweet end to the family’s ordeal.

“This does not return his son,” Urbas said. “It gives (Lin’s father) no pleasure to see this man punished or sent away. It’s better than nothing, but the closure he would want is to see his son back, to hear his voice…”

Lin Jun Family Impact Statement