Deceased/Not Found IL - Yingying Zhang, 26, Urbana, 9 June 2017 #5 *Arrest*

[Satchie]

With regards to the lack of a search, what if they just have no evidence of where to search? In that case, her body could be anywhere, or maybe there isn't even a body anymore. Where are the searchers going to come from, who's going to pay them and the search organizers, how long will it go on, what's going to motivate the searchers to look for something that in all likelihood isn't there? It would be an excercise in futility, which professional organizations don't do. I think they'd be more likely to try to gather evidence about where she might be, and let the public who are out in the world possibly come across her if she's out there.

EDITED to add (posted too soon by mistake), searchers can also miss a body in an area like woods, not even dense woods. We had dozens of searchers looking for a missing, suicidal person here, over several days in an area of just a few square miles, and they missed the body lying just off a trail.
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[Isabelle]

BC lived just down the way from the Illinois Central Railroad yard, and a few industrial locations. There's another gym or athletic store (Gill Athletics) just north of the 74, that has two ponds tight next to it. It wouldn't surprise me if she was located that close to his apartment.

Wonder if he had a gym locker somewhere?

 

[MomminIt]

MOO

Let's say bc's roommate planned a weekend trip for themselves for the weekend of June 9 a few months ago (during the time of his kidnapping views on Fetlife). Then on Friday june 9th with roommate gone BC starts trolling for his victim, knowing he has until the end of the weekend when roommate comes back. He starts at 9-10 am in a quiet residential neighborhood by impersonating a police officer near campus and attempting to lure a young girl, unsuccessfully. Maybe makes more attempts that are unreported or maybe just drives around frustrated. Then, 4-5 hours later he spots YZ By this point he is running out of time in his mind and is desperate. He gets her in his car. I believe a gun or knife was likely employed as a threat once she caught on he wasn't heading to one north. He uses this weapon to quickly get her into his empty apt where he quickly binds her and assaults her. Then, Saturday, he kills her, dismembers her in his bathtub, and brings her pieces to his car. He drives out of town on one of the many many many lonely country roads and drives around again for 5-6 hours, just like Friday, and disposes of her piece by piece in fields, drainage ditches and ponds where the elements and animals do the rest. Sunday, he cleans his car for fingerprints and hair and his bathroom top to bottom with bleach. June 15 FBI luminal his bathtub and find evidence of possible blood spatter Effected by bleach so untestable for her DNA and not enough blood left to show a large amount. They suspect she's dead due to their suspicions about the luminal test and possibly video evidence of him gassing up or heading out of town on a main road Sunday. They watch him hoping for a slip up, revisiting one of the dump sites, bragging about his crime, until the vigil when they must act to protect the public and it becomes clear he is not going to revisit any scene after 2 weeks. This is just a theory I've been cooking up based on my overactive imagination and years of watching crime tv. Totally just my opinion of course.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

there must be reason to believe that she is deceased. That is either a confession, which I wouldn't think would preclude a search, or there is enough evidence that supports an inability for life to be sustained like a lot of blood. So, why no apparent search, and why FBI jurisdiction? Theory: After BC was identified as a person of interest, cell phone or credit card records indicate he left the state. Where would he go? The closest state is Indiana, but I doubt he knew western Indiana very well, there isn't much there. Sure, that would make it a good place to hide a body but only if you know the area. He does know Wisconsin. Perhaps cell phone or credit card records indicate that shortly after the abduction, could be a couple of days, he was in Wisconsin. Four to six hours gets you to either Madison or Stevens Point. Presuming he didn't leave Yingying behind, he crossed state lines in the commission of a crime, even if he hid the body along the way. That is a LOT of area to search. Otherwise, the body has been recovered already and withholding that information is a ploy to get BC to confess in the hopes of a more favorable outcome for him.

bbm

The abduction of poor Yingying can't be BC's first ever encounter with the law, IMO. Imagine, he perhaps started his search for satisfaction with exposing himself to young women outdoors - only one possibility. If not completely stupid, he would have gone to an area where he wouldn't meet his fellow students/lecturers/professors, I think. So a ride to a park-like area/trail 1-2 hours away from Champaign would make a lot of sense and wouldn't have been too much effort. His wife (open marriage) would have been used to the fact have him missing for several hours or even days/nights, certainly without a right for asking too many questions. IMO of course.
If he had been on the road to/in Indiana I wouldn't wonder! IF he was indeed I wouldn't wonder further to assume YZ's place to find exactly there where he as an Anonymus "played his role" (already mean, but not yet devilish). He would have liked the imagination to return to that place/area where he maybe time and again frightened female joggers and then later laid down his (first??) victim, IMO.
My thought isn't out of the blue but to be seen as the attempt to get a whole picture. Nobody starts with a little mistress and then is going to abduct and kill, I think. There has to be a long time of development from sexual overly motivated plus unsatisfied to extreme evil, IMO.
Whether it's him in the following link, I don't know. Maybe there is no victim pic of him existing somewhere, but he could have done something like that, IMO. To my personal imagination of a perverted man it would fit very well. IF so, his victim could perhaps be found where he was traveling as a perpetrator.
February 2017:
http://www.wthr.com/article/second-report-of-indecent-exposure-investigated-on-monon-trail
(First pic)

 

[Tinypeeps]

Thank you! And yes, it could stay in federal court. Will it? I have no idea. The defense would need a reason to get it removed from federal court to state court. I know defense counsel already cited the distance from Champaign-Urbana to where BC is being held as a possible barrier for their ability and legal right to adequately represent BC, but I do not see a court granting a motion to remove the case from federal to state court because of an hour drive. I would think that there would need to be something more there.

Reminded me to say; i bet the defense moves for a change of venue if this goes to trial

 

[Tinypeeps]

MOO

Let's say bc's roommate planned a weekend trip for themselves for the weekend of June 9 a few months ago (during the time of his kidnapping views on Fetlife). Then on Friday june 9th with roommate gone BC starts trolling for his victim, knowing he has until the end of the weekend when roommate comes back. He starts at 9-10 am in a quiet residential neighborhood by impersonating a police officer near campus and attempting to lure a young girl, unsuccessfully. Maybe makes more attempts that are unreported or maybe just drives around frustrated. Then, 4-5 hours later he spots YZ By this point he is running out of time in his mind and is desperate. He gets her in his car. I believe a gun or knife was likely employed as a threat once she caught on he wasn't heading to one north. He uses this weapon to quickly get her into his empty apt where he quickly binds her and assaults her. Then, Saturday, he kills her, dismembers her in his bathtub, and brings her pieces to his car. He drives out of town on one of the many many many lonely country roads and drives around again for 5-6 hours, just like Friday, and disposes of her piece by piece in fields, drainage ditches and ponds where the elements and animals do the rest. Sunday, he cleans his car for fingerprints and hair and his bathroom top to bottom with bleach. June 15 FBI luminal his bathtub and find evidence of possible blood spatter Effected by bleach so untestable for her DNA and not enough blood left to show a large amount. They suspect she's dead due to their suspicions about the luminal test and possibly video evidence of him gassing up or heading out of town on a main road Sunday. They watch him hoping for a slip up, revisiting one of the dump sites, bragging about his crime, until the vigil when they must act to protect the public and it becomes clear he is not going to revisit any scene after 2 weeks. This is just a theory I've been cooking up based on my overactive imagination and years of watching crime tv. Totally just my opinion of course.

Not an unlikely scenario.

 

[Webthrush]

Disposing of a body in a dumpster is a good theory. However, there is no landfill in Champaign. Depending on which garbage company used, it could go to Danville or elsewhere making a landfill search problematic. Further complicating a landfill search is knowing where the dumpster was. One could easily get on the interstate and pass hundreds or thousands of dumpsters in a 30 minute drive. While there are a finite number of defined landfills, there are a lot of them.

This makes dumpster-disposal all the more interesting to me, especially if BC knew the landfills were all outside town. So here's my current guess: once he knew (Fri. night? or Sat. following the Fri. abduction) the Astra had been caught on tape he panicked and killed her; stuffed her into a large duffel bag that he loaded back into his car-trunk late Sat. night, and on Sun. took a leisurely drive around town to some quiet industrial area and threw the bag in one of their dumpsters (not wanting to put it in his own apt. dumpsters), and figured on Mon. or Tues. it would be taken far far away. If police are searching landfills in Danville or wherever, it would also explain why they haven't been spotted around town searching. (just my latest rapidly-changing theory)

 

[Roadette]

Do any of these waste companies send trash to landfills out of state? E.g. Indiana?

 

[Deleted member 192280]

I have the impression from reading various crime reports that SUVs and pick-up trucks are the two popular types of vehicles for committing crimes. Am I right? Probably because of the ease to transport victims or other large stuffs. That could be why he used the Saturn Astra instead of his Camaro shown on his Facebook?

 

[LoremIpsum]

Wonder if he had a gym locker somewhere?

If he had a locker at the gym he frequented, there are two possibilities. He rented a locker and its linked to his account. Or he used one daily. If a lock is left on a unrented locker overnight, the lock is cut off and the contents go into lost and found. So, if BC left anything at the gym, I think we would have heard about it by now (from the gym staff, not LE).

That policy can be found here: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...ggdMAA&usg=AFQjCNGIGRO9DYripObBYd6KvZ7TnXNYQA

Now, there are rented lockers available around town. I know there is a few in the basement of the Union on campus. I'm sure there might be some at the Terminal in downtown Champaign? I would think that the owners of those lockers would have some sort of time limit on them before they reclaim the locker. And I want to say that several on campus are accessed and paid for through a phone app?

As far as his access to campus, he could go pretty much anywhere. Especially during the day, everything is pretty much open and semi deserted during the summer. I do not remember how long after graduation a person would be able to use their student ID to get into places like the gyms on campus that are regulated. But once again, that all would be linked to his icard.

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[TiffanyL_AS]

bbm

The abduction of poor Yingying can't be BC's first ever encounter with the law, IMO. Imagine, he perhaps started his search for satisfaction with exposing himself to young women outdoors - only one possibility. If not completely stupid, he would have gone to an area where he wouldn't meet his fellow students/lecturers/professors, I think. So a ride to a park-like area/trail 1-2 hours away from Champaign would make a lot of sense and wouldn't have been too much effort. His wife (open marriage) would have been used to the fact have him missing for several hours or even days/nights, certainly without a right for asking too many questions. IMO of course.
If he had been on the road to/in Indiana I wouldn't wonder! IF he was indeed I wouldn't wonder further to assume YZ's place to find exactly there where he as an Anonymus "played his role" (already mean, but not yet devilish). He would have liked the imagination to return to that place/area where he maybe time and again frightened female joggers and then later laid down his (first??) victim, IMO.
My thought isn't out of the blue but to be seen as the attempt to get a whole picture. Nobody starts with a little mistress and then is going to abduct and kill, I think. There has to be a long time of development from sexual overly motivated plus unsatisfied to extreme evil, IMO.
Whether it's him in the following link, I don't know. Maybe there is no victim pic of him existing somewhere, but he could have done something like that, IMO. To my personal imagination of a perverted man it would fit very well. IF so, his victim could perhaps be found where he was traveling as a perpetrator.
February 2017:
http://www.wthr.com/article/second-report-of-indecent-exposure-investigated-on-monon-trail
(First pic)

Remember when LE was on the lookout for the Astra and also mentioned the car could be in STL or Chicago? Perhaps he could have disposed of her in either of those areas. Just speculating.


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[TiffanyL_AS]

I have the impression from reading various crime reports that SUVs and pick-up trucks are the two popular types of vehicles for committing crimes. Am I right? Probably because of the ease to transport victims or other large stuffs. That could be why he used the Saturn Astra instead of his Camaro shown on his Facebook?

What color is his camaro? TIA.


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[LoremIpsum]

What color is his camaro? TIA.


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Appears to be black

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[Skigirl]

Remember when LE was on the lookout for the Astra and also mentioned the car could be in STL or Chicago? Perhaps he could have disposed of her in either of those areas. Just speculating.


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Sorry, what is STL? My mind went to "Seattle" but I don't think that's right. Thanks!


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[TiffanyL_AS]

Sorry, what is STL? My mind went to "Seattle" but I don't think that's right. Thanks!


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St. Louis! Sorry, I'm originally from there and used to abbreviating it.


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[Calzone]

Do any of these waste companies send trash to landfills out of state? E.g. Indiana?

It's possible but I doubt it. Having lived here a loooong time, I wouldn't be surprised if there were laws against importing another's garbage. When the landfill in Champaign closed many years ago, Danville was more than willing to accept it. From Champaign, it looks like you would have to tack on another 20 miles to find the closest one in Indiana. Probably not cost effective.

 

[Skigirl]

Are searches done only when there is a chance someone is still alive? I've read many posts here justifying the lack of organized searches based on a "belief" by LE that Yingying is no longer alive (a belief not even strong enough to charge B.C with murder at this time). I may be wrong but it seems to me searches are done to make a case stronger against the perp and to give family closure. As I said before, I am sure the family would appreciate having a hair strand back if that is all that is left of her. Am I way off here? What would a "belief" have to do with halting searches?

I don't think any of us meant to imply that organized searches are not needed if the victim is no longer alive, and I agree that it is important to find the person for all of the reasons you suggested. I think some of us who were wondering about the searches were drawing a distinction between situations in which it might be best to include the public e.g., when the victim might be found alive and rescued and where the importance of that might outweigh the trampling of evidence that could come along with searches by the general public, versus trying to recover a body, in which case the importance of preserving evidence might call for a more professional, methodical, but slower search.


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[Calzone]

Remember when LE was on the lookout for the Astra and also mentioned the car could be in STL or Chicago? Perhaps he could have disposed of her in either of those areas. Just speculating.


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Hmmm...It is not hard to miss your turn off of I57 in Effingham enroute to "STL" and travel further south to I64 to get to STL. That route takes you through Salem, IL.

 

[Millhouse]

Remember when LE was on the lookout for the Astra and also mentioned the car could be in STL or Chicago? Perhaps he could have disposed of her in either of those areas. Just speculating.


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Just curious- when did they say the car could be in St. Louis or Chicago? Or are you just referring to the billboards they put up?

It's actually funny thinking about the billboards with all we know now. I linked an article below from June 15 saying the FBI was going to put billboards up in Indy and Chicago. According to the criminal complaint, they were already executing a warrant to search his car.

http://abc7chicago.com/news/fbi-investigates-scholars-disappearance-as-kidnapping/2103568/

 

[r2so3cxz]

With no new evidence trickling in, I've taken another look back at the original video. I'm using the original UIUC one on Youtube, which seems to be the best quality. It is 1 minute 10 seconds at 10 frames per second, and 1280x720 dimension.

Some observations:

1) From the beginning, people or news reports have mentioned that the video is edited, and that YY supposedly talked to BC for around 3 minutes. Others have mentioned that she talks to him for at least one minute. This is what I see:

a) At 0:14.5, car pulls over. YY immediately steps to the car as soon as it stops (as if she was expecting it?)
b) At 0:16.7 the scene changes to a different camera. There must be some time gap, since there is now a white truck passing BC in the other direction
c) At 0:23.7 a red car enters from bottom of frame, and passes BC
d) At 0:32.1, camera changes back to first scene. The red car is still in the frame, but has moved slightly back. Thus, there is maybe a 1/2 second overlap between the two cameras
e) At 0:40.5 YY starts to open the door. Ignoring the time gaps, she had been talking for 26 seconds before moving her hand to the door.
f) At 0:46.8 she closes the door
g) At 0:52.5 the car starts to move
h) At 1:01.6 BC's car leave the bottom of the frame
i) At 1:02.4, the scene changes to the "reference video", which was before picking up YY.

Regarding the time gaps, the shadows from the various structures move a tiny but perceptable amount. In the first 16 second sequence, the building shadow moves about 2 pixels. When the scene cuts over and back 15.5 (+/- unknown) seconds later, the shadow has moved about 4 pixels. Back with the original camera, the last 30 seconds the shadow moves 4 pixels. So it's _possible_ there are 15-30 seconds missing or so during the camera switch, but it doesn't look like minutes are missing. The affidavit mentions speaking for "approximately one minute".


2) The car pulls away less than 4 seconds after her door closes. This contradicts BC's statement that she showed him a map on her cell phone. He seemed to know where he was going right away.

3) Cropping and enlarging the original video to show just the car (download here), you can see a small amount of extra detail but not much. It's somewhat clear to make out from the changing shadows that she sits down and looks at his face, then at her lap, then his face, then stares at his lap as he drives away. After the car starts moving, I can't make out anything from her seat.



4) I made a quick gif of the car as it's driving (click for full size), centering the car on the image. It made it more clear to me that the blob in the window is the rear view mirror and not her hat. It also makes it more clear that he's looking to the right and slightly down as he drives past. But I still can't make out any trace of YY -- either she's slumped out of view or she blends in too well with the seat.

5) The last image before he moves out of frame looks to me like just a bad quality image. In isolation, it looks like a giant head looking straight out the window. It doesn't match at all the previous images showing him looking to his right. There has been a lot of attention paid to that frame, but personally I don't get much out of it.

6) The police used the cracked hubcap to identify the car, which means they couldn't read the license plate. So much for infinite zoom There was a recent news article announcing they will be upgrading cameras around the city to rectify that.

7) Per the affidavit, the police weren't aware of the cracked hubcap on June 12th when they first went to BC's residence. It was only on the 14th that they noticed it in the video, after which they got the search warrant. It's too bad they lost two days because of that oversight.

8) I was also confused about the last "reference view" at the end of the video. The video description does mention it was taken sometime before picking her up, but I initially assumed it was after. The shadows in that clip are much shorter. My rough guess based on the shadow angles are that it was about 1:15 to 1:30pm (the video with YY was at 2:03).