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Christian Aguilar: Funeral held for murdered U. of Fla. student

Christian Aguilar CBS Miami

(CBS/AP) MIAMI- Family and friends of Christian Aguilar, the University of Florida student whose remains were found earlier this month, gathered in Miami on Tuesday for his funeral, CBS Miami reports.

Pictures: Univ. of Florida student missing

Carlos Aguilar, Christian's father, said in a statement that "being able to give him a proper burial" has helped bring the murdered teen's family some peace.

Following the funeral mass, Aguilar's body was laid to rest at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery in Doral.

"Faith and the love of a family and the closeness of a family, there's a lot of lessons this family has taught us," said Jackie Echagarrua.

Two of Aguilar's aunts in Colombia, who had previously been denied humanitarian visas, were granted non-immigrant visas to travel to Florida for the funeral.

18-year-old Pedro Bravo, Aguilar's friend, has been charged with first-degree murder. The public defender's office has said that they plan to file a not guilty plea on Bravo's behalf. Bravo's family said that they do not have the money to hire a private attorney for a potentially lengthy trial.

According to police, Bravo originally told them that he beat Aguilar unconscious and left him in a parking lot. Aguilar's remains were found about 20 miles outside Cedar Key in a heavily wooded area.

Complete coverage of Christian Aguilar on Crimesider

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