A young woman who was killed after moving from China to Toronto to attend York University was remembered by family and classmates on Wednesday, almost two weeks after she was found dead inside her off-campus apartment.

The tearful father of 23-year-old Qian Liu left a funeral home clutching a portrait of his daughter, who died on April 15 after being attacked inside her home.

Liu Jianhiu, who travelled to Toronto from Beijing, spoke to a packed funeral home in Mandarin, expressing the pain he felt after losing his talented daughter, who he described as "sleeping".

"He broke down quite often, and was really expressing his sadness of his daughter," one attendee explained outside the Jerrett Funeral Home, at 6191 Yonge St., near Steeles Avenue.

Several busloads of York University students attended Liu's memorial, still shaken after the student was found dead in her basement apartment after her boyfriend in China watched via webcam as she was attacked by a man.

One student at the funeral home said Liu's death had made his heart hurt.

Another mourner said, "In China most people are only allowed to have one child and loss of them is a traumatic experience."

Liu's remains will be cremated and the ashes will be flown back to China with her parents.

On Tuesday, a Toronto man accused in the Liu's death appeared in court via videolink.

Brian Dickson wore an orange jumpsuit and had disheveled hair during his video appearance from the Maplehurst Correctional Facility, where he has been held since his arrest earlier this month.

Liu's parents attended court, accompanied by officials from the Chinese consulate.

Dickson's lawyer, Steven Krys, told reporters outside the courthouse on Tuesday that his client was doing well under the circumstances.

He added that Dickson would be pleading not guilty, and asked the public not jump to conclusions.

"I ask the media and the public to respect the fact that he is innocent until proven guilty and he will be pleading not guilty once he enters a plea in court," Krys said.

Dickson, 29, is charged with the first-degree murder of Liu. He lived on the first floor of the same townhouse where Liu lived in the basement apartment.

Liu's body, naked from the waist down, was discovered in her basement apartment by police two weeks ago.

The grisly discovery came hours after her boyfriend watched on a webcam from China as a man entered Liu's room and appeared to assault her.

The case will return to court on May 24.

With files from CTV Toronto's Austin Delaney.