THE TWIN BLASTS MONDAY near the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed 8-year-old Martin Richard of Boston, 29-year-old Krystle Campbell of Medford, Mass., and a third victim, identified only as a female Chinese national graduate student at Boston University.

The third-grader had just gotten ice cream and was eagerly watching for friends.

"My dear son, Martin, has died from injuries sustained in the attack on Boston," said Bill Richard. "My wife and daughter are both recovering from serious injuries. We thank our family and friends, those we know and those we have never met, for their thoughts and prayers. I ask that you continue to pray for my family as we remember Martin."

In nearby Medford, William Campbell described his daughter, Krystle, as the light of his life, "a very caring, very loving person."

"Daddy's little girl," he said.

Campbell, 29, was enjoying the race with her best friend, hoping to get a photo of the woman's boyfriend after he conquered the last mile.

His wife, Patty, was heartbroken.

"She was a wonderful person. Everybody that knew her loved her. ... She had a heart of gold. She was always smiling. You couldn't ask for a better daughter," the grieving mother said. "This doesn't make sense."

Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings, a Hong Kong-based broadcaster with ties to the Chinese government, said the deceased grad student was from Shenyang.

The official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported relatives have requested the deceased not be identified.