Nick_1
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Deceased/Not Found IL - Yingying Zhang, 26, Urbana, 9 June 2017 #2 *Arrest*
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The top of the latest FBI bulletin says:
http://police.illinois.edu/dpsapp/w...ingying-Zhang-Press-Release-pdf-6-27-2017.pdf
In other words, the vehicle was used in the abduction of Yingying. She was kidnapped. The kidnapper used that vehicle.
I don't think the FBI can make it any more clear.
http://police.illinois.edu/dpsapp/w...ingying-Zhang-Press-Release-pdf-6-27-2017.pdf
In other words, the vehicle was used in the abduction of Yingying. She was kidnapped. The kidnapper used that vehicle.
I don't think the FBI can make it any more clear.
"The University of Illinois Police Department and FBI have received numerous leads regarding thevehicle, and we are announcing we have located the vehicle. We will not need any further information from the public regarding the Black Saturn Astra"
Okey Dokey! Having read that, I am going to "guess" it was not found on an upscale residential street. Because I have a neighbor (the self-appointed neighborhood watch captain) who calls he police when any strange car is in our neighborhood for more than 2 hours! But, if the vehicle was left at a large apartment complex, ride share station, or a remote hiking area on the outskirts of town etc., it would take a lot longer to notice. And, if that is the case, I would be asking myself, "If this is an abandoned vehicle, how did the driver leave or get back?" I'd be looking, not just at the interior of the vehicle, but signs of how long it has been sitting. (Bugs, leaves, dust, tire tracks, foot prints, accessibility, nearby structures etc.)
After all, that vehicle has been viewed on video hundreds of thousands of times. Many have assumed the vehicle itself was an integral component in solving a kidnapping. Okey Dokey....so I am still a little lost on what to think. (No surprise, huh.) And???????
daisy.faithfull
RIP Joey, Summer, Gianni & Joey Jr.
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Hi there IQuestion,
Because the car was featured in the media, and has, as you pointed out, been seen by so many, my guess is that it would have to have been left in some of the more remote areas you mentioned that don't receive much traffic and/or it was hidden.
It is difficult to know what to think since we really don't have that much information. As I think through things, I always find myself saying to myself, "On the other hand...", and the other hand with regards to my above speculation is that people don't seem to pay much attention to missing persons cases, so it is possible that it was left in an apartment complex etc. I just have a feeling that that is unlikely, but in order for me to feel a little more confident in that assertion I'd have to know if the abductor ditched the car before or after the story hit the media.
:loveyou:
First time poster, so please be gentle or edit if I say anything inappropriate. I have no knowledge other than what is public, and my knowledge of UIUC.
I am MBMcg and an alum of UIUC. I had hoped that one of my 3 kids would attend there.....or, at least I hoped this until 19 days ago. The apartment I shared my Senior year is about 4 blocks from the abduction site. For all these reasons, I am obsessed with this case, horrified, and terrified for YingYing.
I do know the area fairly well, but less well than other LT residents since I have been gone for 30 years. It has changed and expanded tremendously with the large expansion of the Engineering campus and the Beckmann Institute. (Based on the map, it appears that most of the expansion has taken place in the area where YingYing was last seen; much of that area WAS dumpy houses rented to students and apartments.
Sherpa14: I think you could be correct on hypothesizing that the car was found by Park Rangers.<modsnip> Taking this one step further, there is an enormous (1500 acre) nature preserve named Allerton that is about 35 ish miles away. Perhaps Park Rangers found the Astra there?
One route there is I72; the easiest way to get to I72 from the abduction site is to drive through downtown Champaign, which is, by the way, along the same route (the Illinois Terminal, unless it has moved) where the last ping of YingYing's phone registered. OP mentioned that tapes from downtown being reviewed, which would make perfect sense if Allerton was indeed the destination. Also, per Wiki, Allerton would be under the control of the National Park service, so that fits as well.
If this is correct, I think it is quite ominous and terrifying. I am heartbroken and terrified for YingYing and her family.
What I cannot figure out is how the FBI could say with certainty that the car they found is the correct one, absent a license match to security footage OR some forensic evidence. Thoughts?
Bring YingYing home!
I am MBMcg and an alum of UIUC. I had hoped that one of my 3 kids would attend there.....or, at least I hoped this until 19 days ago. The apartment I shared my Senior year is about 4 blocks from the abduction site. For all these reasons, I am obsessed with this case, horrified, and terrified for YingYing.
I do know the area fairly well, but less well than other LT residents since I have been gone for 30 years. It has changed and expanded tremendously with the large expansion of the Engineering campus and the Beckmann Institute. (Based on the map, it appears that most of the expansion has taken place in the area where YingYing was last seen; much of that area WAS dumpy houses rented to students and apartments.
Sherpa14: I think you could be correct on hypothesizing that the car was found by Park Rangers.<modsnip> Taking this one step further, there is an enormous (1500 acre) nature preserve named Allerton that is about 35 ish miles away. Perhaps Park Rangers found the Astra there?
One route there is I72; the easiest way to get to I72 from the abduction site is to drive through downtown Champaign, which is, by the way, along the same route (the Illinois Terminal, unless it has moved) where the last ping of YingYing's phone registered. OP mentioned that tapes from downtown being reviewed, which would make perfect sense if Allerton was indeed the destination. Also, per Wiki, Allerton would be under the control of the National Park service, so that fits as well.
If this is correct, I think it is quite ominous and terrifying. I am heartbroken and terrified for YingYing and her family.
What I cannot figure out is how the FBI could say with certainty that the car they found is the correct one, absent a license match to security footage OR some forensic evidence. Thoughts?
Bring YingYing home!
Hey Daisy, right back at you my nocturnal poster:loveyou: You make an EXCELLENT POINT. The story and more importantly, the video of the vehicle hit the internet really fast.
I always used to think, hey if it's on video, it will be solved quickly. So frustrating....so much technology available and yet, here we still wait and pray. Every time I watch the video, my maternal heart screams, "Don't get in the car!"
daisy.faithfull
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It did hit the news quickly, but he might have ditched the car quickly as well. Using the apartment complex as an example, he might have had another car, perhaps his own if the car used in the abduction was stolen at the apartment complex and transferred her under threat of violence into that car. I thought I read that she wasn't reported missing until the next day, if I'm right, that gives the creep a lot of time.
I know exactly what you mean about your heart screaming at Yingying not to get into the car. It is very, very difficult for me to watch the video and see the camera stills. Its painful, and never seems to get any easier.
:loveyou:
daisy.faithfull
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:welcome6:
Welcome to Websleuths Mbmcg! Thank you so much for your post and insight. <modsnip>
I wish I knew how LE knew with absolutely certainty that the car they found is the car used in the abduction. Right now, my best guess is fingerprints. I guess that would imply the creep is sloppy, and I certainly hope that is the case.
Welcome to Websleuths Mbmcg! Thank you so much for your post and insight. <modsnip>
I wish I knew how LE knew with absolutely certainty that the car they found is the car used in the abduction. Right now, my best guess is fingerprints. I guess that would imply the creep is sloppy, and I certainly hope that is the case.
I just played the video again, probably 20 times now and I have a question. (go figure) She has appears to be carrying a lot of items....and wearing the backpack on the front of her chest. YET when she gets into the car, she has to have a hand free to open the door. Once she gets in, the car it immediately takes off! Almost as if it takes off even before she has time to move the items and pull a seat belt over her chest and click it in place. I don't know about anyone else, but it takes me a while to get situated and find the seat belt in a strange vehicle. (I'm kind of clutzy and flustered trying to get that accomplished, even in a vehicle I use often.) Who takes off that quickly without leaving time for the passenger to adjust the seat, put items on the floorboard (like a purse etc), and reach across to buckle their seat belt and just speeds off??? (I don't even know if we can glean as to whether or not he put on his left turn signal when he turned the wheels back onto the streets.) I am now thinking, "a kidnapper" would take off like that if he had AUTO LOCKS on his door that engage when he puts his vehicle in drive, or reaches a certain speed. I wouldn't budge an inch unless I made sure my passenger was comfortable, adjusted their seats and more importantly buckled their seat belt. Wow, I think I just convinced myself....and I don't like the feeling I just got. "Hey buddy, what's the big rush?" .....he doesn't care about her safety, just moving quickly out of the area.
SpanishMossAntiques
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How many people would just get in the car with a stranger? Makes me wonder if she knew the suspect...
Or SpanishMossAntiques This snippet from an article on WOMEN SAFETY and CHILD-LOCK.....the trainer asked, “what should you check for when you sit in a hired cab?” The answer to that is child lock. The room was silent for a few seconds as no one had said that. The trainer went on to tell us that in the last 4 years all cases related to rape/ molestation in cabs/by cab drivers had one thing in common, the victims were in cars that had child lock on them.
Could not the same scenario/warning be applicable to any vehicle in which a woman enters?
https://wordsandnotion.wordpress.com/2016/12/07/women-safety/
daisy.faithfull
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Hi SpanishMoss, I understand that thinking. My American mind wondered the same thing, but its been pointed out by people from China that crime is much lower in that part of the world. Apparently, it is much different there, and Yingying was perhaps too trusting, but understandably so. That being said, I don't think we can rule out the fact that she knew her abductor.
GigTu
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<JMO> Most people would not sign a lease sight-unseen. It hasn't been revealed to the public, but I think it's safe to speculate that she visited the apartments at least once before agreeing to sign a lease. Most likely she also asked for advice from the few people she did know on campus.
Yingying is a very smart young woman. We need to believe that she took all the right steps and was thoughtful before making decisions. Because there is no way she has earned multiple degrees including her masters, navigated all the necessary red tape to get scholarships in another country, and was doing deep thinking for complex research and analyzation if she wasn't capable and actively making extremely well thought out decisions to meet her goals. She was capable, thoughtful, and cautious. Absolutely.
A creepy and evil man tricked her. Not because she isn't bright because we all can see she is. She's remarkable. No, this man preyed on cultural trust habits, he tricked her, and he took her against her will. </JMO>
GigTu
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The conversation starts on a Friday, and she was taken on Friday June 9. The first comment timestamped Fri. 9:15 a.m. most likely was sent at least one whole week earlier. However, that information has not been shared so we cannot verify it. Logic and common sense come into play here when trying to determine the timeline of events. imoIm assuming this is what pinged her phone at 2:30ish. Very well could have been thrown out the window on the way out of town via downtown area.
GigTu
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:grouphug: Heather, please believe that not all persons attending this forum think the same way or register things in their minds the same way, or at the same speed. I can see that it frustrates you. I think our minds are trying so hard to make sense of things that just don't make sense. We don't have all the information to make these analyses, so all we have to calculate the mysteries is our own life experiences and knowledge base of what we may have encountered previously. It is so obvious that Yingying is happy, loving and loyal and her family very much adores her - as she does them. She would not intentionally worry her family. Every single one of her actions in life proves her adoration for her loved ones and for herself, and she has not done anything that would indicate otherwise. She is a beautiful and amazing young woman who just somehow ended up in a bad situation. We will find her.
Cherry_Sugar
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Somewhere in one of the news text online it mention she left China also for a conference in Holland.
Maybe someone she knew from that conference? Maybe they stay in touch via social media.
Maybe someone she knew from that conference? Maybe they stay in touch via social media.
Webthrush
Ohhh, and one more thing...
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I keep re-reading the (vague) official FBI announcement of finding the black Astra, trying to make sense of it:
http://police.illinois.edu/dpsapp/w...ingying-Zhang-Press-Release-pdf-6-27-2017.pdf
1) The title implies they DO believe the Astra driver kidnapped Yingying.
2) BUT they write, “We will not need any further information from the public regarding the Black Saturn Astra.” Surely, if it were involved in the crime they WOULD WANT any further details/sightings public might have as to the car’s travels/whereabouts over the last 2 weeks!?
3) Why no info whatsoever on the owner of the vehicle? — was it, as some have surmised, a stolen vehicle, and the owner is innocent?
4) They say nothing of when/where car was located — is this because they now believe Yingying may be far from the central Illinois area, and they don’t want to name a location that may focus attention on any one (wrong) area?
5) When they say they have “developed several additional leads” — are these different leads then they have had before (were they initially off in a wrong direction)? or does it simply mean further, more updated leads in direction they were already pursuing?
http://police.illinois.edu/dpsapp/w...ingying-Zhang-Press-Release-pdf-6-27-2017.pdf
1) The title implies they DO believe the Astra driver kidnapped Yingying.
2) BUT they write, “We will not need any further information from the public regarding the Black Saturn Astra.” Surely, if it were involved in the crime they WOULD WANT any further details/sightings public might have as to the car’s travels/whereabouts over the last 2 weeks!?
3) Why no info whatsoever on the owner of the vehicle? — was it, as some have surmised, a stolen vehicle, and the owner is innocent?
4) They say nothing of when/where car was located — is this because they now believe Yingying may be far from the central Illinois area, and they don’t want to name a location that may focus attention on any one (wrong) area?
5) When they say they have “developed several additional leads” — are these different leads then they have had before (were they initially off in a wrong direction)? or does it simply mean further, more updated leads in direction they were already pursuing?
GigTu
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My opinions below:
1) The FBI believes Yingying was kidnapped. It's been listed that way in everything they release since day 1.
2) As noted upthread, a standard feature of that car is multiple tracking softwares built in - theft tracking and onstar. The FBI can get the data of the car's traveled path.
3-4) Releasing info about the car or owner would likely interfere with the investigation and possibly derail it, thereby jeopardizing Yingying. Besides, they've made it abundantly clear that they will not be releasing information about the investigation. We are lucky they told us about the car.
5) The public does not know what this means, but it's easy to speculate that one thing led to another and could be one or both (new/different, or more of the same). Like a scavenger hunt.
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