Deceased/Not Found IL - Yingying Zhang, 26, Urbana, 9 June 2017 #2 *Arrest*

[mrsobrien]

I also have a problem with the idea that he took YingYing to his apartment.

How would BC manage to get YIngYing from his car to his apartment, without being seen by anyone?

He would have had to carry her through communal hallways, and a neighbour could have seen them at any time. He could have got lucky and no neighbours were around, but it was a heck of a risk to take.

I don't believe it.

The apartment complex lists "optional garages" in the amenities section of the site. In looking through the floor plans, I don't believe these are attached garages. I just can't imagine BC moving Yingying through the common spaces.

https://www.swimsgv.com/Apartments/module/property_info/property[id]/2139/

 

[Isabelle]

I could not agree more - doubtful Yingying was ever in his apartment. Just because he claims that, does not make it true and I don't believe it is.

Agree. He may claim he brought her there and she left. Wonder if there are CCTV on the grounds/in the building?

 

[liltexans]

A woman who lives in the same apartment complex as the Christensens, which is made up of multiple buildings with a central parking lot, said she could not have imagined living so close to the person eventually arrested in connection with Zhang's disappearance.

Sarah Manzella, 20, who lives in an apartment building across from the one in which Christensen resides, said she had been looking for the car after its description came out but never realized the car was in the parking lot directly in front of her apartment.

"She was (in America) for a month. This should not have happened," Manzella said. "I want her family to get justice. It's just really disturbing. I don't even feel safe."

Others believe the situation was random and could have happened to anyone. Even though she received a flurry of messages from her parents concerned for her safety, Xuying “Clover” Tong, 22, who is from Shanghai and graduated in December, said the incident doesn’t make her feel like she’s in danger.

“This situation was inevitable,” Tong said in Mandarin near campus. “There’s no way you can prevent something like this from happening when you go somewhere. I think any college could have faced a similar situation, it’s not just unique to our school.”

Tong also said that because Zhang has a Chinese background, she may have felt rude to turn down someone insistent on helping her.

Xu said parents of Chinese students hear about gun violence but assume that it’s safer at school and many students come to the United States with the perception that Americans are exceptionally nice.

Chenyu “Paul” Zhu, 22, who is from Shanghai and recently graduated, agreed, saying that this perception is common but people should have their guard up no matter where they are.

“Every society has good people and bad people,” Zhu said. “It’s not strictly to this campus, like every other campus can happen, things like this. Just be wary and keep this in mind. Don’t trust strangers 100 percent.”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...-illinois-student-charges-20170630-story.html

 

[liltexans]

Video showed Zhang boarding a Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District bus around 1:35 p.m. She took the Teal line bus from Orchard Downs and exited at West Springfield and North Mathews avenues at 1:52 p.m., police said.

Four minutes later, Zhang was seen on video trying to flag down another MTD bus, but it passed her without stopping. The affidavit states the bus was a Limited Line bus and probably did not stop because Zhang was standing on the wrong side of the street to board.

Unable to catch the bus, Zhang walked north to the intersection of North Goodwin Avenue and West Clark Street, where she stood at another designated MTD bus stop on the southeast corner. According to the MTD website, the Goodwin and Clark stop is designated for the Illini Limited weekday daytime route, which runs only during university breaks and summer sessions.

(bbm)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...-illinois-student-charges-20170630-story.html

 

[dove28]

I'm confused why LE said, maybe a week ago, there was no risk to the public. The perp was out and about then-- how was he not a risk?? Just because he was being so carefully followed?

 

[liltexans]

Everything that could have gone wrong for Yingying that day did go wrong. I hope UIUC will improve their communication with international students from this day forward. They need to make sure to provide cultural training, personal safety training, campus safety information, and clearly explain transportation rules and schedules.

Better yet, they could implement some type of concierge service to make sure that international students are never put in a situation where they have to navigate the city using only the maps on their phone to find housing.

 

[mrsobrien]

Additional Community Amenities

Free garbage removal
Free parking
Onsite laundry
Optional Garages
Private Pool
Recycling
Scenic lake nearby
Secured Entrances

https://www.roysebrinkmeyer.com/champaign/stonegate-village/

Eta- what constitutes "secured entrances"? There's no gates or cameras visible via the apartment website or Google Street view.

 

[Elainera]

Did he kidnap her just to prove himself he could do it? Was it a thrill thing? Or was it a sexual fantasy he tried to play out?

If it was a sexual fantasy I would think that he would have want her somewhere in a room, not in a car.

Just some questions that run through my mind. It's always difficult to grasp a psychopath's motivation.

 

[Elainera]

https://www.roysebrinkmeyer.com/champaign/stonegate-village/

Eta- what constitutes "secured entrances"? There's no gates or cameras visible via the apartment website or Google Street view.

A lake nearby - why aren't they searching it?

 

[nezined]

https://www.roysebrinkmeyer.com/champaign/stonegate-village/

Eta- what constitutes "secured entrances"? There's no gates or cameras visible via the apartment website or Google Street view.

Secured entrance in the industry means the front door of an apartment building can be accessed by residents only, making the hallway and stairwell spaces more secure. I worked for a company that used the term 'limited access' entrances, to not imply through word choice the location needs extra security.

Closest lake nearby is Kaufman Lake, and local police have apparently been spotted there working an unrelated case, it seems. (Full disclosure, officers being spotted on location is sourced from an unofficial Facebook group)

Champaign police investigating June 27 sexual assault

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - The Champaign Police Department needs your help in its investigation into a sexual assault that happened at Kaufman Lake Tuesday evening.


Champaign police say the assault happened at about 5:25 p.m. near the lake's walking path. According to the preliminary investigation, a female was approached by an unknown person who physically and sexually her.


Police say the suspect is described as a black male in his 20's, standing 5'8" with a thin build. The suspect was described as wearing a black shirt and pair of green-lensed sunglasses at the time of the assault. Champaign police have provided a composite image of the suspect's appearance to include in this article.


If you have any information regarding this incident, you are urged to call Crime Stoppers at (217) 373-8477.

 

[nezined]

Everything that could have gone wrong for Yingying that day did go wrong. I hope UIUC will improve their communication with international students from this day forward. They need to make sure to provide cultural training, personal safety training, campus safety information, and clearly explain transportation rules and schedules.

Better yet, they could implement some type of concierge service to make sure that international students are never put in a situation where they have to navigate the city using only the maps on their phone to find housing.

Funny you mention concierge services, because some are already in place. MTD, the local bus company also provides a service just like that called Safe Rides. It's free to U of I students, but it only operates during late night hours, until 5 or 6 a.m. Additionally, when you call for the service and request a destination, they will tell to wait for a bus if you are nearby a running line. Given these circumstances, it would have not made a difference in Ms. Zhang case because the apartment complex she was enroute to was directly on a running line, as most of us understand.

Even a local car dealership, Napletons, shuttles students to their location far off campus.

I think one reason events like this are most shocking to the community here because this took place in broad daylight. I believe the Safe Rides services started up after increased late night crime in North Champaign campus town.

IIRC, there a murder/rape incident on campus back in the 1990s that led to the University changing their policy on students not being allowed to purchase on-campus parking spots. I'm certain it took place just a few blocks south on Goodwin from where Ms. Zhang was picked up.

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[liltexans]

Funny you mention concierge services, because some are already in place. MTD, the local bus company also provides a service just like that called Safe Rides. It's free to U of I students, but it only operates during late night hours, until 5 or 6 a.m. Additionally, when you call for the service and request a destination, they will tell to wait for a bus if you are nearby a running line. Given these circumstances, it would have not made a difference in Ms. Zhang case because the apartment complex she was enroute to was directly on a running line, as most of us understand.

Even a local car dealership, Napletons, shuttles students to their location far off campus.

I think one reason events like this are most shocking to the community here because this took place in broad daylight. I believe the Safe Rides services started up after increased late night crime in North Champaign campus town.

IIRC, there a murder/rape incident on campus back in the 1990s that led to the University changing their policy on students not being allowed to purchase on-campus parking spots. I'm certain it took place just a few blocks south on Goodwin from where Ms. Zhang was picked up.

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That's good to hear something like that exists. I just wonder how well its existence is explained to international students. More dissemination of safe transportation information and explanation of existing services seems to be needed.

 

[liltexans]

[video=twitter;881325926113574912]https://twitter.com/_scottcameron_/status/881325926113574912[/video]

 

[liltexans]

Yingying Zhang came to this country with one goal — to further her education, so she could take care of her family back in China.

“Since she was very young, she was very kind and really gets along with people and she cares what happens to the people surrounding her,” her father, Ronggao Zhang, said in a recent interview with The News-Gazette. “She is very caring for her friends and other people she interacts with.”

On Saturday, the day after the FBI arrested Brendt Christensen, 28, in connection with Ms. Zhang’s kidnapping, authorities offered no new details about the case. Authorities said Friday night they believe the visiting University of Illinois scholar is no longer alive but Ms. Zhang has not been found.

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2017-07-01/yingying-zhang-family-came-first.html

 

[AffirmationChick]

I'm confused why LE said, maybe a week ago, there was no risk to the public. The perp was out and about then-- how was he not a risk?? Just because he was being so carefully followed?

My assumption would be because they were surveilling him 24/7 (not that they're infallible)?



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[sherpa14]

I posted a picture which was removed. I dont think it broke any rules, can mods clarify? thanks

 

[liltexans]

I posted a picture which was removed. I dont think it broke any rules, can mods clarify? thanks

We need a link for pictures. Screenshots are not allowed. The link must be a mainstream media link. Also, rumors from social media are not allowed.

 

[mrsobrien]

UI7news tweeted this pic, which shows CB. Is this msm acceptable?
https://mobile.twitter.com/KayleeHartung/status/880576259578892288

Apologies if this gets snipped, but I think it's ok.

 

[mrsobrien]

We need a link for pictures. Screenshots are not allowed. The link must be a mainstream media link. Also, rumors from social media are not allowed.

Respectfully, that's him. He is quite recognizable.

 

[liltexans]

UI7news tweeted this pic, which shows CB. Is this msm acceptable?
https://mobile.twitter.com/KayleeHartung/status/880576259578892288

Apologies if this gets snipped, but I think it's ok.

Yes, tweets from reporters are fine. Repeating rumors from twitter is not.