Story highlights DNA helped police identify remains of Swedish journalist

Former classmates remember her in New York

(CNN) The gruesome death of a Swedish journalist who vanished after a trip on a privately built submarine in Denmark has resonated around the world.

But friends of Kim Wall, paying tribute after her dismembered torso was identified this week, would prefer that she be remembered for her work, rather than for how she died.

Gathering at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York for a candlelight vigil Wednesday, former classmates sang "Stand by Me" and recalled Wall's distinctive reporting, charm and humor.

For Matthew Claiborne, one of Wall's former classmates, coming together on Wednesday was as a reminder that "she is more than what happened to her."

Wall's former classmates attend a vigil at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism on Wednesday.

A tragic return home

Read More