The grieving father of murdered Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts told mourners at her funeral Sunday that she’s his “hero.”

“We’re at the end of a long ordeal,” Rob Tibbetts told the crowd of more than 1,200 packed into the local high school’s gymnasium. “But we need to turn toward life — Mollie’s life — because Mollie’s nobody’s victim. Mollie’s my hero.”

A month-long search for the 20-year-old University of Iowa student ended Tuesday when her body was found in a farm field.

Police charged Cristhian Rivera, 24, with first-degree murder after he led investigators to her body. The legality of Rivera’s immigration status is unclear.