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

[Raptors001]

Lawsuits !!!!

 

[dm92]

Press conference on the establishment of the fund for helping international students in distress.

Yingying’s Fund: 'We want to act in that spirit'

They established the fund with a gift of $30,000. Also, they announced earlier today they were givning $20,000 in rewards to people who had provided information leading the the arrest and conviction of Christensen.

Yingying's family giving $20K in rewards for help with case

They didn't announce who the rewards were given to, but it is widely assumed that they were giving the money to Terra Bullis and Emily Hogan.

The amounts add up to $50,000, which is the amount offered as a reward by CrimeStoppers for information on Yinying's location and information leading to an arrest. The funds come from the fundraiser that was started back when this sad incident began.

The family intends to keep searching for her. I have not heard any more information on the status of potentially searching the landfill, or any other possible alternate locations.

 

[trunkizback]

Press conference on the establishment of the fund for helping international students in distress.

Yingying’s Fund: 'We want to act in that spirit'

They established the fund with a gift of $30,000. Also, they announced earlier today they were givning $20,000 in rewards to people who had provided information leading the the arrest and conviction of Christensen.

Yingying's family giving $20K in rewards for help with case

They didn't announce who the rewards were given to, but it is widely assumed that they were giving the money to Terra Bullis and Emily Hogan.

The amounts add up to $50,000, which is the amount offered as a reward by CrimeStoppers for information on Yinying's location and information leading to an arrest. The funds come from the ******** fundraiser that was started back when this sad incident began.

The family intends to keep searching for her. I have not heard any more information on the status of potentially searching the landfill, or any other possible alternate locations.

Just heard on the news that Beckett says he should know by next week whether there will be a search of that landfill.

 

[kittythehare]

Civil case document drop

Memorandum in Support of Motion/Petition – #7 in Deneen v. Miebach (C.D. Ill., 2:19-cv-02149) – CourtListener.com
Exhibit A – #7, Att. #1 in Deneen v. Miebach (C.D. Ill., 2:19-cv-02149) – CourtListener.com
Client agreed to meet with this writer and was brought to this writer's office after meeting with Jennifer Maupin. Client presented as well-groomed and casually-dressed. His mood was euthymic with blunted affect. He was fully oriented, evidencing no psychosis. He did not exhibit any speech nor psychomotor abnormalities. He was guarded with invasive eye contact at times. However, he appeared forthright and credible, appropriately engaging with this writer.

Client admitted to a recent history of ruminating about murder, which began as a "fascination" with serial killers and their methods. Client expressed that he found himself thinking often about murder, in an analytical fashion, particularly ruminating about how one might go about killing a person and "get away with it." Client denied ever having any specific plans or intent to act on these thoughts. He denied having any violent urges or history of violence toward others. He admitted to having previously purchased items that would be used in the "transport and disposal" of a body, which he did not further identify, but has since disposed of these items. He denied any current access to weapons. He expressed multiple times that his fear of imprisonment prevents him from acting on these homicidal thoughts, which he characterized as a fantasy. Due to client denying· any current suicidal or homicidal plans or intent, hospitalization was not appropriate at this time. Client agreed to follow-up with this writer for individual counseling, until he may be linked to a community provider for long-term services. Client is scheduled to return in one week. Following this meeting, this writer consulted with clinical director Df. Bill Roberts ...

 

[dm92]

Civil case document drop

Memorandum in Support of Motion/Petition – #7 in Deneen v. Miebach (C.D. Ill., 2:19-cv-02149) – CourtListener.com
Exhibit A – #7, Att. #1 in Deneen v. Miebach (C.D. Ill., 2:19-cv-02149) – CourtListener.com
Client agreed to meet with this writer and was brought to this writer's office after meeting with Jennifer Maupin. Client presented as well-groomed and casually-dressed. His mood was euthymic with blunted affect. He was fully oriented, evidencing no psychosis. He did not exhibit any speech nor psychomotor abnormalities. He was guarded with invasive eye contact at times. However, he appeared forthright and credible, appropriately engaging with this writer.

Client admitted to a recent history of ruminating about murder, which began as a "fascination" with serial killers and their methods. Client expressed that he found himself thinking often about murder, in an analytical fashion, particularly ruminating about how one might go about killing a person and "get away with it." Client denied ever having any specific plans or intent to act on these thoughts. He denied having any violent urges or history of violence toward others. He admitted to having previously purchased items that would be used in the "transport and disposal" of a body, which he did not further identify, but has since disposed of these items. He denied any current access to weapons. He expressed multiple times that his fear of imprisonment prevents him from acting on these homicidal thoughts, which he characterized as a fantasy. Due to client denying· any current suicidal or homicidal plans or intent, hospitalization was not appropriate at this time. Client agreed to follow-up with this writer for individual counseling, until he may be linked to a community provider for long-term services. Client is scheduled to return in one week. Following this meeting, this writer consulted with clinical director Df. Bill Roberts ...

Clearly, Christensen's skill as a liar and his ability to conceal his true intentions were brought on as a horrific side-effect of mixing rum and antidepressants. Bravo, you two jurors, for having the insight, intelligence and compassion to realize this, when ten others could -nay, *would*- not. Bravo.

(That stuff that is dripping of your screen is sarcasm. Very, very concentrated sarcasm.......)

 

[dm92]

Just heard on the news that Beckett says he should know by next week whether there will be a search of that landfill.

It is my understanding that there are two landifills in Vermilion County owned by Republic. Have they ever indicated which one they think the remains were taken to?

 

[kittythehare]

Clearly, Christensen's skill as a liar and his ability to conceal his true intentions were brought on as a horrific side-effect of mixing rum and antidepressants. Bravo, you two jurors, for having the insight, intelligence and compassion to realize this, when ten others could -nay, *would*- not. Bravo.

(That stuff that is dripping of your screen is sarcasm. Very, very concentrated sarcasm.......)

I hear ya bro!
Lethal combo indeed, guaranteed psychoses.
Still on the market strangely..
Re landfill, yeah they did specify. Do I remember? Negative. Why not? Cos if Christensen says she is in landfill, she is anywhere but...
But he sure would get a helluva kick out of knowing an extensive, very expensive dig was taking place...
She is not there.
Use the money for a full search.

 

[trunkizback]

Re the " search ". Here's my predictions. Some pompous stuffed suit will pop up on our local news here and reiterate that they have unsubstantiated info that the remains may be in that landfill...while implying that they either do not belive it and/or it would be futile and cost prohibitive to even attempt. Just this past week 2 different people have been on the news..eating up air time. I contacted both of these people about a possible search of JR. And of course never heard a single word back. Whether or not you believe her remains are in the old factory..a search of it would be a fraction of the landfill cost.
I'm afraid the only way yy's remains will ever be found will be a purely açcidental random event.
It appears..to me anyway..that the people now in control of all this do not share the same goals that we on here do.
It's both infuriating and depressing!

 

[tresir2012]

Yingying Zhang's family to give $20K to people who helped convict her killer

"Steven Beckett, an attorney for the Zhang family, declined to say Monday who would receive reward money or how it might be divided up. But during the course of the investigation into Zhang's 2017 killing and the trial of former University of Illinois doctoral student Brendt Christenen, which ended in June, the names of two possible recipients emerged: Terra Bullis and Emily Hogan.

Perhaps the most riveting evidence was provided by Bullis, Christensen's ex-girlfriend. During the trial, she testifiedthat she wore a wire for the FBI, jurors heard recorded conversations in which Christensen told Bullis in gruesome detail how he killed the 26-year-old Zhang, explaining how he raped and beat her to death.

Hogan testified about being approached by Christensen on the same day he offered Zhang a ride and then kidnapped her. She said after she refused to get into Christensen's car she called police and then later identified Christensen in a photo lineup."


This is very generous of the Zhang family. The family was also awarded some money from the court IIRC. Not sure when they would receive that. Does anyone know?

This is what the court " fined" Christensen. How do they get this money? Could some be used for a landfill search?

In addition to a life sentence, Shadid fined Christensen $750,300 for his crimes.

Brendt Christensen fined. (WCCU)

 

[kittythehare]

Re the " search ". Here's my predictions. Some pompous stuffed suit will pop up on our local news here and reiterate that they have unsubstantiated info that the remains may be in that landfill...while implying that they either do not belive it and/or it would be futile and cost prohibitive to even attempt. Just this past week 2 different people have been on the news..eating up air time. I contacted both of these people about a possible search of JR. And of course never heard a single word back. Whether or not you believe her remains are in the old factory..a search of it would be a fraction of the landfill cost.
I'm afraid the only way yy's remains will ever be found will be a purely açcidental random event.
It appears..to me anyway..that the people now in control of all this do not share the same goals that we on here do.
It's both infuriating and depressing!

Nobody is gonna search the JR building unless we give them a good and valid reason to do so.
A good and valid reason is not a speculation. They cannot justify a budget for a mere speculation which is only a thought.
Good and valid reasons might be proof that he knew the site well, had been there in the past, had been there more than once or twice...

It would mean dredging up whatever, if any old cctv footage from the time and close to the time... trying to match his shape and size to entrance points along the fence...
Photographs of student parties held there by his department in college...
Problem is that if he put her body there and poured concrete over her, it's highly unlikely it will be found through scent alone...
Though I still nurse the notion that her body might be intact through preservation of some means, I am reminded of the blocked drains in his apartment which would not have occurred during a 'clean' killing. The quantity of blood in his bedroom is still a mystery too.
We have one encouraging letter from UIC police...I mentioned the JR building in my email. But I clearly stated I had no evidence other than intuition.
I know that's not enough for them to launch a search. I respect that.

So writing to people wont cut it..
If anybody is really good at searching darkweb.. there might be something there to be found. Film footage , any reference to it at all for any reason.. those searches can be made again.. we can do that rather than stand by helplessly. We are not frozen, we didn't find anything for 2 years , except for @mrsobrien , maybe we can now...
Known date of commencement of fascination with serial killers is january, i think, 2016..
But it may have started well before that.
I'm never going to be surprised if the convicted killer is found to be guilty of other killings.
He wanted to target a new victim at the vigil march.. he referred to killing prostitutes as easy because they would not be missed.His appetite was whetted very quickly after YingYing... he wanted to do it again, possibly quite badly.
Sometimes I think it's not impossible that he went scouting straight after Michelle left , I wondered whether he had killed that night too.. I did some searching, I found nothing.
The question is whether he had a 'lair' or not.
His role models kept trophies... it's likely he did too in his desperate quest for notoriety and his refusal to acknowledge the pain he continues to cause the Zhang family.
He was #blunted.. That is how the social worker described him in yesterday's document drop.
Blunted- without empathy.
Yet, reading his texts to TB he sounded like everyone's friend.. we all have a big brother male friend that we confide in... he wrote like so many people I know. He was very clever in his manipulations.
He would have fooled me too.
So rambling, I know but an analysis of his psyche must be matched to a geographical terrain to cut a long story short.

 

[AnemoneBrown]

U. of I. Social Workers Ask Judge to Toss Lawsuit Filed by Yingying Zhang’s Estate
Matt Masterson | August 20, 2019 2:41 pm

Two University of Illinois social workers who once treated Brendt Christensen, the man sentenced last month to life in prison for the kidnapping and death of a visiting Chinese scholar, are asking a federal judge to toss out a lawsuit filed against them.

Thomas Miebach and Jennifer Maupin acted with “deliberate indifference” toward warning signs presented by Christensen months before he kidnapped and murdered Yingying Zhang, according to a lawsuit brought by Zhang’s estate in June.

Miebach and Maupin this week filed a motion to dismiss that suit, which claims they failed to address Christensen’s “known risk of harm” after he expressed “suicidal and homicidal ideations” during a pair of visits to the University of Illinois Counseling Center (UICC) in March 2017.

But the pair claim they cannot and should not be held legally responsible for Christensen’s “random and incomprehensible actions” that occurred more than two months after the parties met just once, each, with Christensen.

“The U.S. Constitution does not impose upon state-employed mental health professionals the impossible duty of predicting and preventing the infinite permutations by which one person can decide to harm another, and state law likewise does not hold them to such an unattainable standard of care,” attorney Gregory Ostfeld wrote in a memorandum supporting the motion to dismiss.

Christensen, 30, was convicted in June for Zhang’s brutal kidnapping and death. Federal prosecutors alleged he raped, beat and decapitated her inside his Champaign apartment in June 2017.

The lawsuit, filed by the administrator of Zhang’s estate Daniel Deneen, also names Christensen himself as a defendant.

Deneen alleges, among other things, the social workers created a “heightened danger” and “affirmatively encouraged” Christensen’s homicidal ideations by representing to him that his “symptoms had resolved.”

Miebach and Maupin believe that claim should be dismissed because the lawsuit doesn’t “plausibly allege” they “created or increased” a danger to Zhang, nor did they “proximately cause” her death through their actions.

Christensen, who was working at the U. of I. as a graduate teacher after earning his master’s degree there, went to the UICC in March 2017 seeking treatment for his substance abuse issues and the “suicidal and homicidal ideations” he’d been experiencing, according to the complaint.

His wife had recently left him, and on an intake assessment, Christensen allegedly scored at or near 100% on scales measuring depression, generalized anxiety, family distress, substance abuse and distress index, the complaint states.

During an initial interview with a counseling center intern, Christensen claimed he’d previously bought items with the intention of using them to conceal a murder. Video of that meeting was played at his trial.

“I was pretty far along,” he said when asked if he’d taken any steps toward harming someone.

But he also said he wouldn’t actually kill anyone because he didn’t “want to live with the guilt.”

About a week after this initial meeting, Christensen returned to the center to meet with Maupin, and later Miebach. During these meetings, he allegedly “relayed specific and plausible threats of harm to others,” including stating that he had purchased items that could be used to transport and dispose of a body.

Zhang, 26, had been studying photosynthesis and crop productivity as a visiting scholar at the U. of I.’s Urbana-Champaign campus for just a few weeks before her disappearance. She was last seen alive on June 9, 2017 getting into Christensen’s vehicle on campus after missing a bus to an appointment.

Her remains have never been found, but her family now believes her body could be in a landfill in Danville, Illinois.

Zhang’s estate now has until Sept. 3 to file a response to the dismissal motion.

Contact Matt Masterson: @ByMattMasterson | mmasterson@wttw.com | (773) 509-5431

U. of I. Social Workers Ask Judge to Toss Lawsuit Filed by Yingying Zhang’s Estate

 

[trunkizback]

As much as my heart is with the Zhaang family and I dearly wish none of this nightmare had happened to them, I agree that these social workers are not responsible for BC's actions.

 

[kittythehare]

As much as my heart is with the Zhaang family and I dearly wish none of this nightmare had happened to them, I agree that these social workers are not responsible for BC's actions.

I agree.
Watching their interview it seems clear they were nothing short of professional and their court presentations echoed that (civil case)
If YY's mother is going to survive she will need specialised treatment for a very long time, this will be very expensive for the family.
Sometimes, I wonder whether they can find a home and work in the country where their daughter's remain hidden?
It is difficult to even begin to guess what it is they need most. This case , following her murder is, at least deranging with no good outcome.

I know we're all tired here in this thread, those of us who have been here from the outset probably even more so.

I'm not sure what to do next.
We need searchers.
Experienced map readers.
Local people
Cadaver dogs
A willing police helper..
Dark web specialists...he used 2 email addys, both are published on evidence site..
Is it possible he had a third, possibly linked to a different IP address? While being located at his home? any way to search that?

There's a few things niggling me that may amount to nothing at all but curious nontheless

He opened his secret *advertiser censored* file at 9pm (dbl check that) on the night he took her.
WHY?
Did anybody who knew him ever know whether he owned another camera or mobile phone?

Was the half tank of petrol used for driving , torturing or burning?
(cos none of this makes sense)

There must be good and experienced searchers on Websleuths? Even if not up to speed on the case. Will fill you in.
The possibilities are endless and the entire trial and published details of the investigation did not even grant a single clue.
That does not mean there are none.
It means they didn't find them or search sufficiently thoroughly.
They do exist.

Also quite possible that the dumpster story was given to his lawyers so long ago that he was unable to retract it or correct it without risking the stoppage of his lawyers tears as she tried successfully to convince jurors he was a good boy really, just misunderstood while forgetting conveniently she refused to subject him to state psychiatric assessments.
That means that she knew quite well that his mental condition was absolutely within the realms of both sanity and freedom from alleged prescribed drug interaction.
He did it for sport.
Liked it, in fact.
Quite a lot, in fact.

 

[altojack]

I agree.
Watching their interview it seems clear they were nothing short of professional and their court presentations echoed that (civil case)
If YY's mother is going to survive she will need specialised treatment for a very long time, this will be very expensive for the family.
Sometimes, I wonder whether they can find a home and work in the country where their daughter's remain hidden?
It is difficult to even begin to guess what it is they need most. This case , following her murder is, at least deranging with no good outcome.

I know we're all tired here in this thread, those of us who have been here from the outset probably even more so.

I'm not sure what to do next.
We need searchers.
Experienced map readers.
Local people
Cadaver dogs
A willing police helper..
Dark web specialists...he used 2 email addys, both are published on evidence site..
Is it possible he had a third, possibly linked to a different IP address? While being located at his home? any way to search that?

There's a few things niggling me that may amount to nothing at all but curious nontheless

He opened his secret *advertiser censored* file at 9pm (dbl check that) on the night he took her.
WHY?
Did anybody who knew him ever know whether he owned another camera or mobile phone?

Was the half tank of petrol used for driving , torturing or burning?
(cos none of this makes sense)

There must be good and experienced searchers on Websleuths? Even if not up to speed on the case. Will fill you in.
The possibilities are endless and the entire trial and published details of the investigation did not even grant a single clue.
That does not mean there are none.
It means they didn't find them or search sufficiently thoroughly.
They do exist.

Also quite possible that the dumpster story was given to his lawyers so long ago that he was unable to retract it or correct it without risking the stoppage of his lawyers tears as she tried successfully to convince jurors he was a good boy really, just misunderstood while forgetting conveniently she refused to subject him to state psychiatric assessments.
That means that she knew quite well that his mental condition was absolutely within the realms of both sanity and freedom from alleged prescribed drug interaction.
He did it for sport.
Liked it, in fact.
Quite a lot, in fact.

I couldn't have put it any better kitty, thank you. Searchers are around but how to grab their attention? I hate it being so far away as it makes me feel useless, not that I could do much due to mobility problems.

Is it stupid of me to have had thoughts of his mother and father visiting him and pleading with him to tell where YingYing is? I just can't shake those thoughts, probably because I'm a mum and if one of my lads had done what that monster did, I would be pleading for him to tell where she lay.

 

[kittythehare]

I couldn't have put it any better kitty, thank you. Searchers are around but how to grab their attention? I hate it being so far away as it makes me feel useless, not that I could do much due to mobility problems.

Is it stupid of me to have had thoughts of his mother and father visiting him and pleading with him to tell where YingYing is? I just can't shake those thoughts, probably because I'm a mum and if one of my lads had done what that monster did, I would be pleading for him to tell where she lay.

we're away, but we can still search online... why did his defense take such a high risk in refusing to allow him to be examined? There's a helluva lot we still don't know about him..
If we just had a single shred clue of his dark side and where it might have taken him geographically, was secretive, probably does have a place to stash illicit thingys..
I doubt he'll retract his dumpster theory.
Prison location was the only bargaining chip but that's a matter for BOP and not justice. The month must be well up by now? Please tell me he is in with El Chapo and his mates, at least...
They might extract the information from him and probably a lot easier to contact too.

 

[kittythehare]

I went searching for his new prison, didn't find it.. Does anybody happen to have a link to his crime file, the one that states which jail or prison is housing him currently, please?

 

[dm92]

Family returning to China tomorrow. Still no decision made as to a search of the landfill.

Murdered UI scholar’s family again going home without her

 

[kittythehare]

Family returning to China tomorrow. Still no decision made as to a search of the landfill.

Murdered UI scholar’s family again going home without her

I really didn't want to see that story ever...
Means-no new leads, no leads at all...
I believe the dump theory is non viable for reasons discussed already.

Only hope for another search is strong public opinion , a great campaign..
I see no evidence on social media that the notion has any support at all.
i feel like crying now, wondering how they will integrate all that has happened in the years to come and whether YingYing's mother will ever reclaim her daughter's body and her own life.
I wish upon a million stars that some miracle occurs to change this inevitable looking bad outcome.
But, you know, probably more than a few are interested enough to start a search locally.
If anybody has any contacts within Chinese community, please try to find an opportunity to sound them out on what they think is possible, they're closer to the case.
It's time for one of @Laughing 's beautiful pictures now.
(and el Chapo's e-mail address in prison)

 

[kittythehare]

Civil case documents updated
Extension of Time to File Response/Reply – #10 in Deneen v. Miebach (C.D. Ill., 2:19-cv-02149) – CourtListener.com

35 day extension to October 8 requested and unopposed

Notice of Appearance of Attorney – #11 in Deneen v. Miebach (C.D. Ill., 2:19-cv-02149) – CourtListener.com
(notice of appearance of attorney for Maupin)

 

[Webthrush]

I realize the variables/factors are many and complicated, but still amazing to me, with the resources available in Champaign-Urbana, that they have not reached a decision by now either to search or not. Autumn is probably the best time to start if it is going to be attempted (neither too hot nor too cold), or otherwise announce that it won’t be attempted.
Family is headed home to China once again cruelly in limbo…