Deceased/Not Found IL - Yingying Zhang, 26, Urbana, 9 June 2017 #3 *Arrest*

[Skigirl]

https://www.facebook.com/brendt.chr...4833.1073741827.1262760463&type=3&pnref=story

From his Facebook: He posted just over a year ago that he bought a new car- a 2000 Camaro Z28 SS. I know it was 16 years old when he bought it, so it would not have the same expense as a new car purchase, but in my experience there aren't very many graduate students who have two cars of their own both due to overall expenses and parking restrictions in college areas.

This just made me wonder if he did in fact borrow the Astra from someone- the wife or a roommate, perhaps, since it was spotted in the apartment complex area.

I was wondering something similar, especially because there were accounts of someone trying to pick up other students around campus and at least one did not think it was a Saturn, but did describe it as a black car. It made me wonder if he and his wife had two cars that both of them drove, at least on occasion.

ETA: We know the Astra belonged to Christensen because the process of finding it was described in the criminal complaint. They were able to find him because he was one of 16 people in the county with a Saturn Astra.

 

[Webthrush]

A few questions:


1) Am I right that no plea was entered at this hearing? And if not, is a plea expected at the July 5 hearing?
Someone posted yesterday that he was going to plead innocent to all charges, but I don’t recall how they sourced that info?
2) Was BC represented by a personal lawyer or public defender at this hearing?
3) Will ask again if anyone has seen ANYthing about a search for YZ’s body happening ANYwhere?

 

[LadyL]

[bbm]

maybe he did ... maybe what sleuthers are finding are the remnants left behind and he wiped the major stuff

Is it a testament to his age group, or a testament to him? IMO, he might have also been sloppy if he was planning something using another technique. Digital stuff is not unique to me- it's just another tool with a lot of unique issues to think about. If he was actually plotting this, I think this is more about his sloppiness or overconfidence. Even if he wasn't planning the original kidnapping, it's amazing to me that he didn't try to clean some of this up after it happened and before he was arrested.

 

[liltexans]

Do not discuss comments made on social media, including comments made on BC's FB page. It's a TOS violation.

Do not discuss BC's wife.

 

[Immaterial]

A few questions:

3) Will ask again if anyone has seen ANYthing about a search for YZ’s body happening ANYwhere?

I'm a grad student at UIUC and we have not been told anything at this time.

 

[liltexans]

> Will ask again if anyone has seen ANYthing about a search for YZ’s body happening ANYwhere?

I'm a grad student at UIUC and we have not been told anything at this time.

The FBI has refused to comment when asked about where Yingying's body might be. I hope and assume they are actively trying to find her, but they won't say.

Personally, I hope they have been searching the landfills in the area.

 

[HoldySi]

A few questions:


1) Am I right that no plea was entered at this hearing? And if not, is a plea expected at the July 5 hearing?
Someone posted yesterday that he was going to plead innocent to all charges, but I don’t recall how they sourced that info?
2) Was BC represented by a personal lawyer or public defender at this hearing?
3) Will ask again if anyone has seen ANYthing about a search for YZ’s body happening ANYwhere?

Per this link (http://www.news-gazette.com/news/lo...e-back-court-wednesday-detention-hearing.html) he is being represented by the Bruno Law Firm, they are a family of Bruno's and a big deal around here. I don't know if Evan Bruno is the main attorney representing him or if he was just the only one there today.

 

[Immaterial]

The FBI has refused to comment when asked about where Yingying's body might be. I hope and assume they are actively trying to find her, but they won't say.

Personallly, I hope they have been searching the landfills in the area.

That'd be a good place. Most people I have talked to are talking about searching the lakes. Crystal Lake in Urbana usually gets a body in it every two years or so. Onthe other hand when Vicente Mundo was killed his body was disposed of on the edge of a farmer's field.

 

[eastcoasterinco]

https://www.facebook.com/brendt.chr...4833.1073741827.1262760463&type=3&pnref=story

From his Facebook: He posted just over a year ago that he bought a new car- a 2000 Camaro Z28 SS. I know it was 16 years old when he bought it, so it would not have the same expense as a new car purchase, but in my experience there aren't very many graduate students who have two cars of their own both due to overall expenses and parking restrictions in college areas.

This just made me wonder if he did in fact borrow the Astra from someone- the wife or a roommate, perhaps, since it was spotted in the apartment complex area.

I've been thinking along these same lines. For someone who is so academically intelligent (it seems), BC made a lot of very stupid mistakes in this case, especially not cleaning up evidence after the fact.

Sure he tried to clean out the car extensively, but he left it parked in his own apartment complex. Why not hide it? Park it somewhere strange that leads away from you? IMO part of this is his ego talking - he really didn't expect to get caught and thought he could explain things away if / when confronted.

But if my theory is correct that he borrowed the car from the other resident (who consented to the car search btw- can you consent to a search of a car in your apartment's lot if you don't own it??), I believe BC couldn't hide the car without having to explain that to the other resident. I believe he needed to hide it in plain sight and maybe even hoped that this other person would drive the car, covering some evidence that could've been there.

All my own speculation and opinion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mrsobrien]

[bbm]

maybe he did ... maybe what sleuthers are finding are the remnants left behind and he wiped the major stuff

Ugh, that's a hideous thought. I have his Fetlife activity details, and if THAT was clean enough to let hang out, I don't want to know what he scrubbed.

Jmo here.... He joined multiple online groups about 3 months ago which revolve around abduction, then actually committing an abduction within weeks... 9 idiots out of 10 would cover that up if they wanted to get away with it.

 

[mrsobrien]

I've been thinking along these same lines. For someone who is so academically intelligent (it seems), BC made a lot of very stupid mistakes in this case, especially not cleaning up evidence after the fact.

Sure he tried to clean out the car extensively, but he left it parked in his own apartment complex. Why not hide it? Park it somewhere strange that leads away from you? IMO part of this is his ego talking - he really didn't expect to get caught and thought he could explain things away if / when confronted.

But if my theory is correct that he borrowed the car from the other resident (who consented to the car search btw- can you consent to a search of a car in your apartment's lot if you don't own it??), I believe BC couldn't hide the car without having to explain that to the other resident. I believe he needed to hide it in plain sight and maybe even hoped that this other person would drive the car, covering some evidence that could've been there.

All my own speculation and opinion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There was a warrant for the car, no consent needed. For search and seizure of the apartment, all they had to do was ask the other occupant as soon as BC was taken for questioning. That gracious host/ess gave written consent to everything there, including BC's cellphone, which he had left there.

Thank you to the other occupant!

 

[HoldySi]

I've been thinking along these same lines. For someone who is so academically intelligent (it seems), BC made a lot of very stupid mistakes in this case, especially not cleaning up evidence after the fact.

Sure he tried to clean out the car extensively, but he left it parked in his own apartment complex. Why not hide it? Park it somewhere strange that leads away from you? IMO part of this is his ego talking - he really didn't expect to get caught and thought he could explain things away if / when confronted.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Snipped by me. IMO, he was so... I don't know, cocky/arrogant/proud of this crime that I think he believed he had gotten away with it. I don't think it was a matter of him being forgetful or sloppy, I think he believed he had committed the perfect crime and was invincible. He was brazen enough to attend the rally for YingYing only a couple of weeks after having authorities come to his residence and get a warrant to search his vehicle. I don't think he went to sleep at night being nervous that he had gotten caught, I don't think he spent hours stewing over it (his hours of online gaming could tell you that), I think he believed in his mind that he had gotten away with it and they had moved onto another suspect.

Perhaps the FBI putting up billboards after searching his car was a brilliant move on their part, maybe he fell right into that trap.

 

[liltexans]

[video=twitter;881910521997529088]https://twitter.com/rhodes_dawn/status/881910521997529088[/video]

 

[liltexans]

[video=twitter;881905016914792448]https://twitter.com/news_gazette/status/881905016914792448[/video]

 

[liltexans]

[video=twitter;881911134282010624]https://twitter.com/mtarm/status/881911134282010624[/video]

 

[roche.analisa]

Someone asked about the steam profile image. It seems to be associated with the British TV Series "Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist" according to Google reverse image search.

https://g.co/kgs/Meprkh

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[LadyL]

All I keep thinking is Yingying was right to be so cautious. This was probably one of only a handful of times she let her guard down and it was because she was trying to do the right thing (not be late to an app't).

 

[sadsnorlax]

Silly question maybe but is he being tried for murder? Or kidnapping alone? Does kidnapping alone carry a life sentence? I'm from the UK so my US legal knowledge is patchy to say the least.

 

[LadyL]

yeah and I don't want to know even the details you're privy to
I mean, who knew these things existed and that so many people are into it?
blech

Ugh, that's a hideous thought. I have his Fetlife activity details, and if THAT was clean enough to let hang out, I don't want to know what he scrubbed.

Jmo here.... He joined multiple online groups about 3 months ago which revolve around abduction, then actually committing an abduction within weeks... 9 idiots out of 10 would cover that up if they wanted to get away with it.

 

[liltexans]

Silly question maybe but is he being tried for murder? Or kidnapping alone? Does kidnapping alone carry a life sentence? I'm from the UK so my US legal knowledge is patchy to say the least.

He has not been charged with murder yet. Kidnapping can carry a life sentence. It depends on the evidence and any aggravating factors I believe.