Deceased/Not Found IL - Yingying Zhang, 26, Urbana, 9 June 2017 #11 *GUILTY*

[dm92]

Anyone knows anything about the civil suit?

Here again is the link to the docket:

Docket for Deneen v. Miebach, 2:19-cv-02149 - CourtListener.com

Right now, the defendants have filed a motion to dismiss the suit, the plaintiff filed their response, and we are waiting presumably for a hearing on the matter. No update since October 10th.

Related: I don't have the link handy, but YY's boyfriend is upset with the University. he posted a comment on a Chinese social media site where he criticized the university for trying to have the suit dismissed, and claimed that the University has not provided much help to her family at all. I was unable to translate his comments, but ran google translate on the chinese text of the news article describing his comments. I'm not sure from the translation, but he may be misunderstanding what is going on with the civil suit. the university is not trying to have it dismissed; the defendants Miebach and Maupin are trying to have it thrown out -which is what one would expect defendants' lawyers to do in a suit like this.

I will dig up the link to the article on his comments later.

 

[Parametric]

Nice thread -- thanks to everyone for contributing. I hadn't seen any of the previously sealed documents; it's been interesting to read.

So, I live in this area -- probably 2 miles from where BC lived. We worked out at the same gym (I never met him, but I talked to MZ a few times, as did my GF. And I think my GF talked to BC once or twice, briefly). It's weird to read through a lot of this and be so familiar with the area and hear their recordings where they're discussing street names I commute on every day.


I've followed this case very, very closely. Partly because of the proximity I just mentioned and partly for other reasons. Seeing YYZ's mother wail like that was heartwrenching.


Anyway, there's a lot of discussion in this thread about self-organized search parties. To be totally honest, I think you all have your hearts in the right place but you don't appreciate how non-descript and expansive the rural area is outside of CU. We're a college sized town, but once you're beyond the outskirts with a 5 - 15 minute drive, it is just an endless expanse of private fields all the way out to the horizon. And there are literally tens of millions of acres of fields in Illinois.

Assuming the landfill story is not true (this is my personal opinion) and the fact half a tank of gas was used up over the weekend of June 10th, you have to consider her remains could be ~90 miles in any direction. They could also be in the building next door, but we simply don't know. The point is, we'd have to assume a search radius of about 90 miles and there is just absolutely no way a small team of people could even cover a tiny fraction of that. Moreover, much of the land is snowed over or frozen for a few months out of every year.

I'm not trying to be pessimistic about it, just realistic. I think the best hope is:

1) The landfill story is true and they find her remains

2) Like so many other victims in the past, someone somewhere comes across a partial skeleton or piece of clothing or whatever that finally brings closure. Even if it's 10 years later, it's better than never knowing at all.

 

[dm92]

Assuming the landfill story is not true (this is my personal opinion) and the fact half a tank of gas was used up over the weekend of June 10th, you have to consider her remains could be ~90 miles in any direction.

That’s the $25,000 question. Is it true or not? It is so gut wrenching thinking that she might be out there somewhere just waiting to be found -but not knowing if he’s telling the truth makes it so difficult to try and commit to doing some sort of a search. Christensen is a liar; but though liars are capable of lying about anything, that doesn’t mean they always lie about everything. Unfortunately, it is entirely feasible that he disposed of her exactly as he claimed, and no one noticed a thing about the dumpster. Lots of people assume he downloaded the article on human decomposition to determine how to speed up the process. I think it is more likely he did it in order to help him determine how long he could get away with having her in his apartment and the dumpster before decomposition would make her noticeable.

It is very frustrating. You can’t commit to searching the landfill because the cost would be very high and thus disastrous if he is lying, but you can’t commit to doing a broad search because of the massive extent of territory, and doing so would be disastrous if he isn’t lying. As such, we are stuck in a sort of paralytic limbo; unable to commit to doing anything because no one knows what the truth is, and there is no way to independently figure out what it is. Very frustrating.

Back in September, Steve Beckett said on the radio or in the newspaper thst he would know “in about a week” whether or not authorities would search the landfill. I never heard anything else about what was decided. Whatever was decided, you would think it would have been reported on in the press. I have no clue what might be going on regarding this...

 

[dm92]

https://www.cunihinesenzherald.co.nz/news/socialmedia/zhang-yingying-20191026/

Chinese language article regarding YY's boyfriend being upset with the University.

 

[Webthrush]

The whole silence on a landfill search just baffles me — the family understands the difficulty of such a search but no doubt would want a decision that it will or won’t be done — if they have not been notified that is just a further added cruelty; if they have been notified why hasn’t the public been told. I don’t get it. Both the heat of summer and cold of winter would be the hardest times for such a search. If possible at all, right now seems the last, most practical time.

 

[Parametric]

The whole silence on a landfill search just baffles me — the family understands the difficulty of such a search but no doubt would want a decision that it will or won’t be done — if they have not been notified that is just a further added cruelty; if they have been notified why hasn’t the public been told. I don’t get it.

I think Steve Beckett spoke prematurely.

It's only been three months since this piece of information was revealed. They are probably still weighing the costs and logistics.

Searching a landfill would be a massive undertaking. It's not like digging through your kitchen trashcan to find a missing debit card. I don't know the exact measurements, but you're likely somewhere in the ballpark of 450,000 cubic feet of compacted refuse. You can't just dig it up and set it to the side -- all that trash has to be searched, then transported to another location. Then there's the manpower involved, the regulations, forensic analysis, prohibitive weather and so forth. And, of course, the possibility that she's not even there in the first place.

Again, I'm not trying to be discouraging to anyone, just adding a realistic perspective here.

I might be wrong, but I suspect they will choose not to search the landfill.

 

[kittythehare]

Nice thread -- thanks to everyone for contributing. I hadn't seen any of the previously sealed documents; it's been interesting to read.

So, I live in this area -- probably 2 miles from where BC lived. We worked out at the same gym (I never met him, but I talked to MZ a few times, as did my GF. And I think my GF talked to BC once or twice, briefly). It's weird to read through a lot of this and be so familiar with the area and hear their recordings where they're discussing street names I commute on every day.


I've followed this case very, very closely. Partly because of the proximity I just mentioned and partly for other reasons. Seeing YYZ's mother wail like that was heartwrenching.


Anyway, there's a lot of discussion in this thread about self-organized search parties. To be totally honest, I think you all have your hearts in the right place but you don't appreciate how non-descript and expansive the rural area is outside of CU. We're a college sized town, but once you're beyond the outskirts with a 5 - 15 minute drive, it is just an endless expanse of private fields all the way out to the horizon. And there are literally tens of millions of acres of fields in Illinois.

Assuming the landfill story is not true (this is my personal opinion) and the fact half a tank of gas was used up over the weekend of June 10th, you have to consider her remains could be ~90 miles in any direction. They could also be in the building next door, but we simply don't know. The point is, we'd have to assume a search radius of about 90 miles and there is just absolutely no way a small team of people could even cover a tiny fraction of that. Moreover, much of the land is snowed over or frozen for a few months out of every year.

I'm not trying to be pessimistic about it, just realistic. I think the best hope is:

1) The landfill story is true and they find her remains

2) Like so many other victims in the past, someone somewhere comes across a partial skeleton or piece of clothing or whatever that finally brings closure. Even if it's 10 years later, rit's better than never knowing at all.

we've spent a few years exploring these possibilities.
There is no guarantee the half tank of petrol was not used trawling.
How about a search based on walking distance from his apartment?
That's a small search involving just a few people, possibly with cadaver dogs.

 

[Parametric]

There is no guarantee the half tank of petrol was not used trawling.

There's no guarantee it was used for trawling, either.

But I do understand your point: just because the search radius is fairly large, it doesn't exclude focused searches constrained to smaller areas around the center. Which is basically what you're suggesting here:

How about a search based on walking distance from his apartment?

What would you consider walking distance?

Here's a 0.75 mile radius: Imgur (click it to enlarge the image)

If you had to choose 3 or 4 particular areas inside of that radius to focus on, what would you suggest?

 

[kittythehare]

There's no guarantee it was used for trawling, either.

But I do understand your point: just because the search radius is fairly large, it doesn't exclude focused searches constrained to smaller areas around the center. Which is basically what you're suggesting here:



What would you consider walking distance?

Here's a 0.75 mile radius: Imgur (click it to enlarge the image)

If you had to choose 3 or 4 particular areas inside of that radius to focus on, what would you suggest?

with respect, I suggest you read the threads, every single possible combo of search radius and methodologies has been discussed to death previously

 

[altojack]

Not knowing the area makes the choice of a search area difficult as far as I'm concerned. We're there any road works going on that weekend, pipe laying, underground cable installation even? BC could have made good use but we've no hope in that direction. Old empty properties between his apartment and the gym? By now they will be lived in or pulled down to make way for something else.

Of course there's always the wooded walks, a shallow grave perhaps?

 

[Parametric]

Old empty properties between his apartment and the gym? Of course there's always the wooded walks, a shallow grave perhaps?

As some others have discussed, there's the old C.S. Johnson building between his apartment and the gym. As far as I can tell from passing it every day, it hasn't changed much over the years. I don't know if it ever got searched properly in June, 2017.

Like I said in my previous post, I showed a 0.75 mile radius around BC's apartment. If anyone has suggestions on a few places to look inside that radius, I'm happy to do it when I have time. I'm not going to scour through 10 previous threads with hundreds of posts, however. And obviously I won't trespass on private property.

But I live in this same area and if there's anything I can do within reason, I'll consider it. If they do search the landfill and need volunteers, that would also be a way I could help.

 

[Parametric]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed>

Most of this area is rural jungle and frozen over for over 1/4th of the entire year. The wooded area behind BC's apartment alone could take a month to search, especially 2.5 years after this crime has been committed. So what I'm asking from anyone here who cares to help is a two sentence summary of several years of threads on this site so I can focus my efforts on a handful of places worth checking out in my spare time. I still give it a less than 1% chance of yielding anything, but what could it hurt?

<modsnip>

 

[roche.analisa]

@Parametric, welcome! Thank you for the offer to search. I can see where the number of messages would be too high to review. I appreciate your local perspective. I hope you stay.

 

[Parametric]

Thanks!

<modsnip>

Today, I was thinking of how BC drove home. The timeline is:

2:04pm
YYZ gets in the car
Video footage: https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/7.2 Exh. 5A-11.wmv


2:05pm
BC and YYZ are sitting at the intersection of Goodwin and University
https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/8. Exh. 5A-12.wmv


approximately 2:06pm (I think the timestamp in the video is incorrect)
Last known footage of BC and YYZ driving up Goodwin avenue, just outside of MLK Elementary school
https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/9.2 Exh. 50-2.wmv


2:28pm (about 22 - 24 minutes after the MLK video)
YYZ's last cellphone ping is at 201 S Chestnut St
This is a somewhat isolated area, that you can see with Google Street View (link here خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏ ) <<sorry, I don't know why the link looks like that, but it works.


A few questions:

1) Was there really no video evidence at all of his drive back home? Not one business or street corner recorded his vehicle?

2) Are there any prevailing theories as to what happened between 2:06 - 2:28? I looked at some previous threads and some folks were suggesting he headed East towards Busey woods or a remote county road out there. Subdued her there, then drove back towards Champaign where he then turned off her cell phone on Chestnut Street.

I suspect he turned left on Bradley when he got to end of Goodwin instead of turning right to get her to her destination. From there, he may have gone somewhere near the Oak street railroad tracks, beat her and then drove back into town.

 

[trunkizback]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed>

Most of this area is rural jungle and frozen over for over 1/4th of the entire year. The wooded area behind BC's apartment alone could take a month to search, especially 2.5 years after this crime has been committed. So what I'm asking from anyone here who cares to help is a two sentence summary of several years of threads on this site so I can focus my efforts on a handful of places worth checking out in my spare time. I still give it a less than 1% chance of yielding anything, but what could it hurt?

<modsnip>

 

[trunkizback]

Welcome. I'll try my best to summarize 2 years of our frustration here. As you stated, there are time discrepancies. There were recorded phone calls that are sealed?
My personal perspective is that I live in Rantoul and used to work at Johnson Ross when it was still making the cement batchers. The building was put up way back and is very large with many odd places and rooms. Both inside and the outbuildings and grounds. When I was there , I worked the overnight shift. We had 2 different places in the fence that altho it looks solid was actually cut so we could slip through on breaks to the many fast food joints on Springfield. When I found out that the path he walked daily to the gym took him right along the fence , I figured he may have stumbled onto one of those openings. At the time of the abduction most of the building was unused. Especially at night. I did a drive by video about a year into this case and the whole backside and field was desolate. I've always thought it was a perfect spot for him to hide the body...or god forbid...just her head. At that time everything was under the FBI's control. I called their office and was told my info would be passed on to the investigators. Pfft.
Fast forward to a month after the trial. Still no YY. By now WCIA was on the story so I texted Aaron Eads about doing a search. He told me he didn't have the ability to do so. So I called the U of I police dept. The Champaign PD. Was told it was still the fbi's baby. Left a message with Robin Kaler of the U of I. Also Steve Beckett.
Never heard from either.
So, one day I just went into the J Ross building to talk to the people there. The lady I talked to said....she wasn't aware of any search of the building but..that it could have been done on some day when she wasn't there. !!.
I remember a picture in the News Gazzette of some divers being in Kaufmann Lake across the street but I don't recall anything about them searching JR.
Like you, I'm just a regular citizen and can't just go in there to search. But I do still believe it is worth a SERIOUS fine- tooth comb..cadaver dogs search!

<modsnip>

 

[trunkizback]

. I'll try my best to summarize 2 years of our frustration here. As you stated, there are time discrepancies. There were recorded phone calls that are sealed?
My personal perspective is that I live in Rantoul and used to work at Johnson Ross when it was still making the cement batchers. The building was put up way back and is very large with many odd places and rooms. Both inside and the outbuildings and grounds. When I was there , I worked the overnight shift. We had 2 different places in the fence that altho it looks solid was actually cut so we could slip through on breaks to the many fast food joints on Springfield. When I found out that the path he walked daily to the gym took him right along the fence , I figured he may have stumbled onto one of those openings. At the time of the abduction most of the building was unused. Especially at night. I did a drive by video about a year into this case and the whole backside and field was desolate. I've always thought it was a perfect spot for him to hide the body...or god forbid...just her head. At that time everything was under the FBI's control. I called their office and was told my info would be passed on to the investigators. Pfft.
Fast forward to a month after the trial. Still no YY. By now WCIA was on the story so I texted Aaron Eads about doing a search. He told me he didn't have the ability to do so. So I called the U of I police dept. The Champaign PD. Was told it was still the fbi's baby. Left a message with Robin Kaler of the U of I. Also Steve Beckett.
Never heard from either.
So, one day I just went into the J Ross building to talk to the people there. The lady I talked to said....she wasn't aware of any search of the building but..that it could have been done on some day when she wasn't there. !!.
I remember a picture in the News Gazzette of some divers being in Kaufmann Lake across the street but I don't recall anything about them searching JR.
Like you, I'm just a regular citizen and can't just go in there to search. But I do still believe it is worth a SERIOUS fine- tooth comb..cadaver dogs search!

<modsnip>

 

[Parametric]

Thanks, trunkizback -- for the reply and your efforts to call around and ask about the JR building.

I drove by it today and there's still barbed wire fence around everything and no trespassing signs everywhere. Last I heard, it was being used as warehouse space for one of the larger apartment realty companies in the area. I don't know if that's still the case.

 

[trunkizback]

Thanks, trunkizback -- for the reply and your efforts to call around and ask about the JR building.

I drove by it today and there's still barbed wire fence around everything and no trespassing signs everywhere. Last I heard, it was being used as warehouse space for one of the larger apartment realty companies in the area. I don't know if that's still the case.

Yeah it still is. But at the time they were only using the front half ( towards Springfield ) woulda been easy to sneak in the backside at night and hide something.

 

[dm92]

A few questions:

1) Was there really no video evidence at all of his drive back home? Not one business or street corner recorded his vehicle?

2) Are there any prevailing theories as to what happened between 2:06 - 2:28? I looked at some previous threads and some folks were suggesting he headed East towards Busey woods or a remote county road out there. Subdued her there, then drove back towards Champaign where he then turned off her cell phone on Chestnut Street.

I suspect he turned left on Bradley when he got to end of Goodwin instead of turning right to get her to her destination. From there, he may have gone somewhere near the Oak street railroad tracks, beat her and then drove back into town.

He didn’t head east toward Lincoln. The UIPD reports obtained via FOIA mention that they reviewed security camera tapes from the circle K at Lincoln and Bradley that look out onto that intersection. His car never appears there.

At that time in 2017, the entire neighborhood on the north side of Bradley just past the tracks was being razed. Most of the houses were empty and being torn down. My guess is he took her into that neighborhood, beat her, restrained and stuffed her in the bag, then drove toward downtown.

The Chestnut street site is a mystery. I have no idea why he would go there. Presumably he would have pulled over to disable her phone -it must have made a noise, or he saw it and realized he needed to disable it. But, it is a little out of the way and difficult to get to, so why would he think to go there? There must be something important about that site though, as again, one of the UIPD police reports mentions that they have record of HIS cell phone pinging at the same location on Monday the 12th.