Tearful farewell as family left asking: 'Why?'

But while 15-year-old Brenda was overseas with the Cheltenham Girls High School group, her entire family was murdered.

Yesterday, at a public memorial service, guests sobbed during a heart-wrenching recorded eulogy from Brenda, in which she said to Henry: "You've never, ever broken a promise before. Why are you starting now?"

And to her murdered mother, the orphaned schoolgirl said: "Mum, where are you? Why did you leave?

"Who am I going to share my secrets with? Who is going to fuss over me every single day?"

About 2000 guests packed into Sydney Olympic Park's Badgery Pavilion for the service for the five victims of the unsolved killing spree  North Epping newsagent Min Lin, his wife Yun Lin (Lillie), sons Henry, and Terry, 9, and Lillie's sister Yun Bin (Irene). The bodies were discovered in three bedrooms of the family home in the early hours of July 18, their heads brutally bashed.

In a recorded eulogy projected on a giant screen, Brenda spoke to each of her relatives as candles burned in the foreground, the footage of her interspersed with photographs of her beloved family.

As the eulogy played, Brenda sat in the front row, clutching the hands of her paternal grandmother Zhu Fengqin and her paternal aunt Shu (Kathy) Lin. The teenager did not betray her grief, remaining composed as those around her loudly expressed theirs.

In a eulogy translated into English, grandparents Ms Zhu and Lin Yangfei broke down as they spoke of the loss of their son and his family.

"Every night I still lie on a special underblanket my son bought for me because of my injured back," Mr Lin said. "But I cannot sleep as it is my grief-stricken heart that is broken."

Ms Zhu had to be supported by staff as she called out: "My son, my beautiful son, where have you gone?"

The two-hour service was attended by Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy; federal parliamentary secretary for multicultural affairs Laurie Ferguson; Epping MP and NSW Opposition justice spokesman Greg Smith; and Chinese Consul-General Hu Shan.

More than 100 Cheltenham Girls High School students attended, each dressed in school uniform and carrying a white rose, along with students from Epping Boys High and North Epping Primary.

Mr Turnbull and his wife signed a photographic montage of the Lin family: "Dear Brenda, be strong. We stand with you."

The Chinese Consul General called on Australian authorities to bring the killer or killers to justice as soon as possible.

Mr Smith remembered Mr Lin as his family newsagent, saying that he would always greet the minister with a smile and wave when delivering the morning newspapers.

"We are haunted by the question why," Mr Smith said. "Who would want to take the lives of such a happy family, such a cheerful family. What harm could those two happy little boys have done except perhaps to identify their assailants, their cowardly assailants?"

The MC, Channel Seven's police reporter Robert Ovadia, who delivered eulogies for all the family members, told how Irene had moved to Australia a year ago to study business at Macquarie University. "She said she didn't need a man around," Mr Ovadia said. "She was fiercely independent and loved her life."

After the ceremony, five coffins  three large and two small  were driven to Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium in five silver hearses for a private service.

Editorial Extra, Page 16

BRENDAS FINALGOODBYE

DAD, I can still remember the last time I saw you.

It was four oclock on Monday morning.

You were taking me to the airport.

When everyone else was hugging and kissing their parents

as if they will never see each other again for a really long time,

I thought, Its only for a week. I will see you again soon.

I never thought it would be a lifetime that I will see you [again].

I could not imagine that a short trip would take you away

from me forever. You were a great figure in my life who has

now disappeared. I can never have you back.

You left all of a sudden and died.

You did not even give me a chance to say a proper goodbye.

MUM, where are you?

Why did you leave me?

Now you have gone,

who am I going to share my secrets with?

Whos going to fuss over me?

I miss you. I miss you so much.

I miss the daily hugs. I miss your crazy fashion styles.

But most of all, I miss you. You are the one person that

could drag me through life. Im dependent on your advice

and knowledge and no one can take your place.

What am I going to do now?

Last time I saw you, it was Sunday night. You hugged me

and wished me good luck with my trip. I miss that hug.

I still remember it so clearly in my mind. I still think of it.

HENRY, you were the person that taught me how to laugh.

You always made me smile whenever I saw you, especially

those magic tricks that you were trying to master.

You said that you would teach me how to do them once

I came back from New Caledonia.

Im back now, but youre not here any more.

Youve broken your promise. You broke your last promise.

Youve never, ever broken a promise before. Why are you

starting now?

With you gone, I never think I can smile the way I did before.

TERRY, when I was writing this speech,

I was thinking of you.

I remember the last speech that I wrote, you were helping

me like an efficient assistant. You wanted to help me in

everything that I did and youre not here any more.

The room feels so empty without you in it. I can still hear

your voice in the background, singing Christmas songs

when its not Christmas and entertaining yourself.

AUNTY IRENE, you were always really nice to us.