The family of Chinese student Jun Lin, brutally murdered and dismembered in Montreal last month, says his death was a "destructive blow" which left them physically and psychologically spent.

In a public letter written in Chinese, the family describes how grief has left them at "a breaking point".

The family also expresses deep gratitude for the outpouring of support and assistance in the wake of Lin's killing.

The letter was posted on a Chinese-language website Sunday. Concordia University plans to release an English version of the letter today, a spokesperson said.

Lin, the family's "pride and joy", was a student at Concordia, where he had started a computer engineering program after obtaining permanent residency in Canada.

The Chinese Consulate General in Montreal said the family has agreed to allow Concordia to organize a memorial, expected to be later this week.

The university is also handling donations to the Jun Lin Family Fund, set up last week by Concordia's Chinese Students Association.

The family is not considering any possible interviews with media at this point.

Lin's dismembered torso was found in a suitcase outside a Montreal apartment building last month. Police later recovered his hands and feet, which were mailed to the Conservative and Liberal party headquarters in Ottawa and to two schools in Vancouver in the days after his murder.

Luka Rocco Magnotta, 29, was arrested in Germany last week after an international manhunt. He is awaiting extradition back to Canada to face first-degree murder charges.