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

[Whiteorchids]

I believe BC listed on his profile that he liked home movies. I wonder if he recorded his attack to replay his cruelty. If so, this could be why LE believes she is no longer alive.
You wonder how a grad student with a teaching stipend wastes so much "free" time online. I get that he had/has a roomie/spouse to help with expenses. It looks like he's been spiraling downward since dropping out of the Ph.D. program.

Reading this made me think of James Holmes the Batman movie theater killer. He dropped out of the PHD elite neuroscience program at the University of Colorado Denver as his mental health spiraled down.

 

[ninij9]

It may be because it is late but I am beginning to think this is simpler than we might make it. I am leaning toward the FBI recounting of the public details as the facts. He was exploring this world and, rather than meeting a Fetlife person who wanted a fantasy, he abducted Yingying by cajoling her/convincing her that he would take her to the apartment. The details of how she was unable to escape are probably a well kept secret among the FBI. They combed the car and noted its cleanliness on that side so we know something major happened in the vehicle. We don't know that she was in the apt alive or not. We know she is as yet unfound but known to be dead so the evidence must be clear to the FBI beyond his disclosure to another person--- photo or video would be the most likely mode.

I am not sure we need to second guess anything here even his withdraw from the program. He was a decent TA with no complaints. The issue of writing level, research, funds, or level of talent hits lots of those who leave PhD programs. I don't know that it made him angry. I think he was probably in an open marriage prior to the program, maybe he wanted to focus on his fetishes more than science. It happens that priorities change. Why did he move to killing rather than playing? I am not sure we will ever know.

I do hope we find out where Yingying is so she can go home.

I agree with alot. Except the wiping of the passenger side doesn't mean something terrible occured in getting car, only that he over cleaned that side in an attempt to remove all of her finger prints. I still picture her entering wherever they went still alive and well.

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[Webthrush]

<snip>....
For some reason, the two broken arms incident/comment has bothered me, but ai cnsnot put a finger on why.
....<snip>

I'll go off on a tangent here: perhaps you're subconsciously remembering that Ted Bundy used a fake sling/broken-arm to entice women to help him get in his car or carry groceries or the like... I think BC really did break his arms, but he does mention in the interview how helpless he felt, and even needed help to take a shower (this is all years before the crime, but maybe it taught him how eager people were to aid the injured; any chance he might've driven around campus with one arm in a sling to look more harmless? then when YZ enters car he pulls arm out with a stun gun or taser... just idle, way-out-there speculatin', that I don't really believe myself).

 

[matou]

I'll go off on a tangent here: perhaps you're subconsciously remembering that Ted Bundy used a fake sling/broken-arm to entice women to help him get in his car or carry groceries or the like... I think BC really did break his arms, but he does mention in the interview how helpless he felt, and even needed help to take a shower (this is all years before the crime, but maybe it taught him how eager people were to aid the injured; any chance he might've driven around campus with one arm in a sling to look more harmless? then when YZ enters car he pulls arm out with a stun gun or taser... just idle, wait-out-there speculatin', that I don't really believe myself).

Two broken arms at 18? I guess he missed out on playing video games for a bit.

 

[Tinypeeps]

Thank you for that. In your opinion as a local, are the Stonegate apartments far nicer than the One North or whatever that YZ was going to lease? Like hugely nicer?

 

[Millhouse]

I am not sure we need to second guess anything here even his withdraw from the program. He was a decent TA with no complaints. The issue of writing level, research, funds, or level of talent hits lots of those who leave PhD programs. I don't know that it made him angry. I think he was probably in an open marriage prior to the program, maybe he wanted to focus on his fetishes more than science. It happens that priorities change. Why did he move to killing rather than playing? I am not sure we will ever know.

I do hope we find out where Yingying is so she can go home.

Snipped by me.

Not aimed at this post or any comment in particular- I just wanted to add some additional context to the fact he decided not to finish his PhD and am using your post as a launch point. There are estimates that 30-50% of people do not finish PhD programs. Some may not pass all of the different qualifications or examinations, but others just choose not to finish. PhD attrition a big issue in research and graduate education. By all accounts we've seen so far, he chose to leave. This alone is not a red flag to me. His advisor's comments make me think it was not a red flag to anyone there, either.

It is also my understanding that he graduated with his Master's just over a month ago. While we could criticize him for not starting his job search early enough that he had a job lined up, if he waited until after graduation to start his job search, it's unlikely he'd be employed by now. He might have had edits on his master's' thesis to finish, or if he had completed enough research, he might have a paper he was preparing for publication. His lawyer claims he has been looking; maybe that will be relevant to the case in that they will say why would he jeopardize his plans or something of that nature.

Additionally, mental health is a real concern for PhD students. According to a recent paper, 1/2 of PhD students experience psychological distress and the prevalence of mental health issues is higher in PhD students (paper here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733317300422).

It's hard to tell the cause and effect here, because IMO, research attracts some people predisposed to some mental health issues (research is an easy place to stay isolated, etc.) in addition to the fact that academic pursuits can lead to anxiety, depression and other things in students. I'm not saying he necessarily had any particular issues or that these are responsible for what he did- just the reality of graduate school.

Other information:

http://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2017/04/phd-students-face-significant-mental-health-challenges

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/why-do-so-many-graduate-students-quit/490094/

http://www.chronicle.com/article/PhD-Attrition-How-Much-Is/140045

 

[IQuestion]

Photo 1: exterior of Stonegate Village this morning

Photo 2: concrete plant from Stonegate Village parking lot

Photo 3: leaving the Refinery gym driving towards Springfield Ave you can see the cars at the abandoned plant

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LOREMLPSUM My husband just said, "Informative pics!" You go girl!
So, back to the proximity of the Cement Plant to the apartment building. BC could literally sit in his living room, car or walk-the-dog
every single day and see whether or not LE was searching the plant?? Hmm, Maybe I've seen and read too many investigations...but this looks just "ominous on steroids." What are the chances?

 

[ninij9]

I doubt she had any prior interaction with him before considering how anti social he is. Plus it wouldn't have taken a whole minute to convince her to get in his car if she knew him and was running late. He was circling the block like a shark who found prey.

A whole minute is 60 seconds by someone we are told was very cautious. I still think there was recognition of some sort.

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[AnemoneBrown]

Snipped by me.

Not aimed at this post or any comment in particular- I just wanted to add some additional context to the fact he decided not to finish his PhD and am using your post as a launch point. There are estimates that 30-50% of people do not finish PhD programs. Some may not pass all of the different qualifications or examinations, but others just choose not to finish. PhD attrition a big issue in research and graduate education. By all accounts we've seen so far, he chose to leave. This alone is not a red flag to me. His advisor's comments make me think it was not a red flag to anyone there, either.

It is also my understanding that he graduated with his Master's just over a month ago. While we could criticize him for not starting his job search early enough that he had a job lined up, if he waited until after graduation to start his job search, it's unlikely he'd be employed by now. He might have had edits on his master's' thesis to finish, or if he had completed enough research, he might have a paper he was preparing for publication. His lawyer claims he has been looking; maybe that will be relevant to the case in that they will say why would he jeopardize his plans or something of that nature.

Additionally, mental health is a real concern for PhD students. According to a recent paper, 1/2 of PhD students experience psychological distress and the prevalence of mental health issues is higher in PhD students (paper here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733317300422).

It's hard to tell the cause and effect here, because IMO, research attracts some people predisposed to some mental health issues (research is an easy place to stay isolated, etc.) in addition to the fact that academic pursuits can lead to anxiety, depression and other things in students. I'm not saying he necessarily had any particular issues or that these are responsible for what he did- just the reality of graduate school.

Other information:

http://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2017/04/phd-students-face-significant-mental-health-challenges

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/why-do-so-many-graduate-students-quit/490094/

http://www.chronicle.com/article/PhD-Attrition-How-Much-Is/140045

All you are saying is well and good until you look at his LinkedIn profile and you clearly see he is lying about his training: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendt-christensen-0007207a/. No one would be discussing his LinkedIn profile if right at the top of that page you read M.S.Physics,University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. See the difference? So, unless you are noting that people who are satisfied with their hard earned graduate degrees often lie about their training or unless you are noting that people in the midst of job hunting do not pay attention to their LinkedIn profile, your observations do not support the idea that he got a Masters degree and was satisfied with his decision.​

 

[LoremIpsum]

Thank you for that. In your opinion as a local, are the Stonegate apartments far nicer than the One North or whatever that YZ was going to lease? Like hugely nicer?

Stonegate is old and run down compared to One North where Yingying was headed.

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[TiffanyL_AS]

Really, isn't it odd that they aren't searching for her? Even if they feel she is dead, wouldn't they be looking for her body in open fields or ask farmers to look out in their fields? Can anyone remember any case where someone is missing and there appears to be no active search? What would be the downside in asking the public to do some searches? If a loved one of mine was missing, I personally would go out an search the county. Why would they be telling family/friends not to do that?

True. Your post got me thinking.

What if he burned her? There is no body and it'll be even harder to find evidence?


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[TiffanyL_AS]

My strong sense is that LE's certainty of death is due to their having found blood - or possibly images/video. I just had a creepy thought: Possibly another party living there saw YZ in the apartment at least initially, and thought she was role playing abduction?

I thought this as well. He may have taken photos or video. It's possible they have confiscated such from his apt. So LE could have proof she was there and in danger but still not have her body. JMO


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[Webthrush]

LOREMLPSUM My husband just said, "Informative pics!" You go girl!
So, back to the proximity of the Cement Plant to the apartment building. BC could literally sit in his living room, car or walk-the-dog
every single day and see whether or not LE was searching the plant?? Hmm, Maybe I've seen and read too many investigations...but this looks just "ominous on steroids." What are the chances?

LOREMLPSUM, sorry if you already answered this and I missed it, but is the factory entirely fenced off or kept secure by guards, or can anyone in the public drive/walk right up to it?
And the article you linked to before said it was still possibly being used as a warehouse -- is that just some portion of it, any workers going in and out, or just an occasional drop-off if there's something to be stored... or, does it just seem EMPTY???

 

[Russian Blue]

I agree with alot. Except the wiping of the passenger side doesn't mean something terrible occured in getting car, only that he over cleaned that side in an attempt to remove all of her finger prints. I still picture her entering wherever they went still alive and well.

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Fingerprints and Touch DNA. I agree with your statement.

 

[wheresbeef]

I thought this as well. He may have taken photos or video. It's possible they have confiscated such from his apt. So LE could have proof she was there and in danger but still not have her body. JMO


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Seems LE is quite certain that YZ is dead. Is it possible that LE has evidence that she was badly wounded or in a situation that almost leading to death but the evidence is not enough to charge BC with murder yet?

 

[Russian Blue]

LOREMLPSUM, sorry if you already answered this and I missed it, but is the factory entirely fenced off or kept secure by guards, or can anyone in the public drive/walk right up to it?
And the article you linked to before said it was still possibly being used as a warehouse -- is that just some portion of it, any workers going in and out, or just an occasional drop-off if there's something to be stored... or, does it just seem EMPTY???

Do you know the address or cross streets of the cement factory?

 

[Millhouse]

All you are saying is well and good until you look at his LinkedIn profile and you clearly see he is lying about his training: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendt-christensen-0007207a/. No one would be discussing his LinkedIn profile if right at the top of that page you read M.S.Physics,University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. See the difference? So, unless you are noting that people who are satisfied with their hard earned graduate degrees often lie about their training or unless you are noting that people in the midst of job hunting do not pay attention to their LinkedIn profile, your observations do not support the idea that he got a Masters degree and was satisfied with his decision.​

Well we can agree to disagree. In my grad program, no one updated their Linked In and many didn't even have one. I know several academics actively searching for university and privatejobs who don't have one.

I did not say people leaving PhD programs are happy. I'm just saying it happens a lot and leaving the program alone is not that unique.

 

[Satchie]

Stonegate is old and run down compared to One North where Yingying was headed.

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Also, with One North you can get a bedroom in a furnished apartment, with roommates already in place. It's designed to be a student residence. I don't believe Yingying wanted to rent a whole apartment, or buy furniture, or share with a man.

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[ninij9]

Just a quick question: If BC is so antisocial then how could he have won so many awards as the students' favorite teaching assistant during the previous years? I can't find the article to link at the moment, but I do remember reading this a while back. Either he became antisocial just recently, or he may hide that fact. Just something I've been wondering about. IMO.

Says he? Maybe he made alot up.

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[whitelilac]

Regarding BC's leaving the PhD program, I understand he was in his 4th year. If his program was similar to others he only had a year, possibly a year and a half more to go. My daughter is in a science based PhD at an Ivy, which she has decided to leave after 2 1/2 years, after much soul searching. For her personally her decision is based on her desire to do hands on clinical work rather than spending her life in a lab and writing papers.. Had she been in her 4th year, there is no question that she would stick out the last year, especially after the difficult journey to get into the program in the first place and the intense work following.

My feeling is that BC lost sight of his goal by becoming more and more involved and addicted to his fantasies in the gaming and this Fetlife business. It's impossible spend so much time on these activities whilst continuing his PhD.....those in my daughter's program live and breathe their work with very little time for anything else besides some sleep.