Deceased/Not Found IL - Yingying Zhang, 26, Urbana, 9 June 2017 #7 *Arrest*

[Shiressleuth]

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...I-Krista-Sypher-44-Plover-13-March-2017/page3

Hey guys. Krista has a thread on here. They were looking at landfill at one point. Here's a link to the thread.

 

[Webthrush]

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...I-Krista-Sypher-44-Plover-13-March-2017/page3

Hey guys. Krista has a thread on here. They were looking at landfill at one point. Here's a link to the thread.

Yes, that's how I stumbled on her case originally, by googling landfill searches in Wisconsin... after that I did a more general search for missing persons in Wisconsin. Anyway thanks for finding her thread. Most likely the case has no connection to BC, but the one thing that might make it more intriguing is if there was actual indication that BC was back in WI. around Mar. 13, 2017 (a Monday) instead of on Champaign campus. It would be interesting to know in general how often he routinely returned to either the Stevens Point or Madison areas.

 

[Shiressleuth]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...t-christensen-profile-met-20170707-story.html

Just posting this article. It has probably been posted way back but I hadn't seen it before. Quite informative.

 

[dm92]

THANKS for the correction; also she apparently disappeared on Mar. 13, but wasn't reported missing 'til Mar. 20, the date I listed -- Spring Break in 2017 for U of I began March 18). I think that's right around the time BC actually dropped out of the physics program at the University -- it was in the Spring '17 but I forget just which month/date?

Not quite. He informed the department sometime in 2016 that he was going to withdraw from the PhD program and take a masters' degree. He was still taking classes in the 2017 spring semester, although none were Physics courses; they evidently were electives. I'm not sure if he was TA'ing a class or not that semester. So, he likely would not have left campus before the 18th, and since he was married and living with his wife, it wouldn't surprise me if he just stayed in town.

A big part of the reason I doubt BC and YY had met or encountered one another before June 9th is that the window of opportunity to encounter one another was very narrow. YY arrived on campus around April 27th. Classes were finished around May 6th, and finals were done on the 15th or so. YY wasn't taking classes or TA'ing; she probably would have been in her laboratory most of the time,or out in their field research location. While she probably did venture out of other parts of campus occasionally to take care of administrative stuff as a new arrival, and may have been in meetings with other other collaborative researchers in a different building(s), it's very doubtful that this would have given them a chance to meet and talk with one another; more likely, he might have seen her in passing somewhere, and then recognized her when he passed her on the 9th. That's still a stretch though. It's a big campus with around 50-55K students, faculty and staff running about every day. Plus, from May 6 on, he likely was on campus very little if at all.

 

[Webthrush]

Not quite. He informed the department sometime in 2016 that he was going to withdraw from the PhD program and take a masters' degree. He was still taking classes in the 2017 spring semester, although none were Physics courses; they evidently were electives. I'm not sure if he was TA'ing a class or not that semester. So, he likely would not have left campus before the 18th, and since he was married and living with his wife, it wouldn't surprise me if he just stayed in town.

A big part of the reason I doubt BC and YY had met or encountered one another before June 9th is that the window of opportunity to encounter one another was very narrow. YY arrived on campus around April 27th. Classes were finished around May 6th, and finals were done on the 15th or so. YY wasn't taking classes or TA'ing; she probably would have been in her laboratory most of the time,or out in their field research location. While she probably did venture out of other parts of campus occasionally to take care of administrative stuff as a new arrival, and may have been in meetings with other other collaborative researchers in a different building(s), it's very doubtful that this would have given them a chance to meet and talk with one another; more likely, he might have seen her in passing somewhere, and then recognized her when he passed her on the 9th. That's still a stretch though. It's a big campus with around 50-55K students, faculty and staff running about every day. Plus, from May 6 on, he likely was on campus very little if at all.

I believe he was still either TA-ing or assisting in research through the spring semester (and needed the money), as he was still in the Masters program getting his degree in May, even though he’d dropped from the PhD program. I’m still wondering if his academic weeks may have been loose enough to allow trips to WI… but I don’t want to divert too much discussion to the Sypher case unless someone can come up with a real linkage. (And since his father now lived in Michigan and his mother in Milwaukee, his only reason for visiting the Stevens Point area would be other friends.)
I too doubt that YY and BC ever met each other, though there are tons of social functions on a Univ. campus where 2 strangers could cross paths; the minutes it took YY to enter BC's car I think indicate he was using some ruse to lure her in, and had probably approached others that day.

 

[dm92]

I believe he was still either TA-ing or assisting in research through the spring semester (and needed the money), as he was still in the Masters program getting his degree in May, even though he’d dropped from the PhD program. I’m still wondering if his academic weeks may have been loose enough to allow trips to WI… but I don’t want to divert too much discussion to the Sypher case unless someone can come up with a real linkage. (And since his father now lived in Michigan and his mother in Milwaukee, his only reason for visiting the Stevens Point area would be other friends.)
I too doubt that YY and BC ever met each other, though there are tons of social functions on a Univ. campus where 2 strangers could cross paths; the minutes it took YY to enter BC's car I think indicate he was using some ruse to lure her in, and had probably approached others that day.

That's right, so he was still around -but the semester was finished on the 6th or so, and finals were done by around the 15th. He received his degree and he was done. He may have come in a time or two after this and cleaned out his office, taken care of some loose ends and such, but for at least three of the six weeks YY was around, he likely wasn't on campus hardly at all.

Another reason I think they likely had no interaction -at least an interaction where they met and spoke with one another- is that there have been absolutely no rumors or talk on campus of them having met before. In the wider campus community, and especially in the Chinese community here, from the time of the kidnapping and through the summer into the fall, there was a lot of discussion and gossip about this case as you would expect, and in no case have I ever seen any discussion of rumors that they met, and my wife has not seen any rumors of this on local Chinese discussion sites. I think if they had, YY might have mentioned meeting someone to a coworker -or would have probably been out and about with a coworker who would have encountered him at the same time, so someone would have known about it.

I think she was totally unfamiliar with him. From what I have seen on the video of her interacting with him before she gets in the car, she maintains a significant distance from the door and is bent over looking at her phone and in the window. Had she recognized him, I think she probably would have come right up close to the door, and probably would have gotten in a lot sooner.

 

[ghoulnextdoor]

Family Of Missing Chinese Scholar Makes Emotional Plea

http://cbsloc.al/2BalMsy

"As long as you let my daughter go home, I will not go after you for anything," Yingying Zhang's father said

 

[Two for the road]

I am a local and to clear things up, there wasn't an alert right away (the next day a at the evening news, and even then there wasn't an abduction connection, people thought she was lost). Even when they identified the make and model of the car there were no road blocks, nothing. Just a BOLO for it. But from what I understand by the time it shortly after the release of that info, they found the car and had their investigative eyes on BC. The community was encouraged to be on the lookout but not to go actively looking.

I don't believe that BC was a repeat offender. He was sloppy and careless. First, the first girl he allegedly accosted wasn't a vulnerable exchange student. She was a girl that was able to give a description of him and his car and the ruse he used. A more experienced criminal wouldn't have let her go (think of Ted Bundy). Second, if he had committed a crime before, I don't think he would be driving something as unique as a Saturn Astra. Third, I think the window between when he abducted her and killed her was narrow, not because he was experienced but the opposite... Because he hasn't had time to master his torture techniques (in comparison to killers like Robert Ben Rhoades or David Parker Ray). Lastly, he didn't have time to rehearse a better alibi than "I was playing video games" or "I gave her a ride, she panicked when I drove a different way and I let her go" I think he is just egoistical and thought he was smart enough that he could get away with it.

That said, there was a long search of the abandoned buildings and Creek that runs near his house. Locals thought for sure they were going to find something with the amount of effort they put into searching that building. But they haven't said what they've found.

 

[Hatfield]

Family Of Missing Chinese Scholar Makes Emotional Plea

http://cbsloc.al/2BalMsy

"As long as you let my daughter go home, I will not go after you for anything," Yingying Zhang's father said

How sad. He just wants him to tell where the body is so they can take her home for burial. It is so upsetting and this animal had no empathy for others. He was/is a selfish .

Most murderers never tell where the body is because they have a glimmer of hope they can somehow weasel their way out of it through appeals even if they get convicted. He needs to realize that is not going to happen in this case and tell what he did with her.

The culture where she is from is so polite people. Anytime I have met people from her country or similar far east country I have found them to be very polite people.

One thing I still have trouble understanding is if the perp had a wife then what was he doing gally gagging around with a girlfriend? Did his wife approve of him seeing other women while they were married?

If so, I think that speaks of a few things right there because that is not a typical married relationship if they were both seeing other people.

 

[HoldySi]

snip

One thing I still have trouble understanding is if the perp had a wife then what was he doing gally gagging around with a girlfriend? Did his wife approve of him seeing other women while they were married?

If so, I think that speaks of a few things right there because that is not a typical married relationship if they were both seeing other people.

He posted on his Ok Cupid profile, which has been screen captured, that he was in an open, married relationship.

 

[Hatfield]

He posted on his Ok Cupid profile, which has been screen captured, that he was in an open, married relationship.

Thanks. That explains it but I have to wonder if he was lying and maybe his wife did not know about his extra curricular behaviors.

 

[dm92]

I am a local and to clear things up, there wasn't an alert right away (the next day a at the evening news, and even then there wasn't an abduction connection, people thought she was lost). Even when they identified the make and model of the car there were no road blocks, nothing. Just a BOLO for it. But from what I understand by the time it shortly after the release of that info, they found the car and had their investigative eyes on BC. The community was encouraged to be on the lookout but not to go actively looking.

I don't believe that BC was a repeat offender. He was sloppy and careless. First, the first girl he allegedly accosted wasn't a vulnerable exchange student. She was a girl that was able to give a description of him and his car and the ruse he used. A more experienced criminal wouldn't have let her go (think of Ted Bundy). Second, if he had committed a crime before, I don't think he would be driving something as unique as a Saturn Astra. Third, I think the window between when he abducted her and killed her was narrow, not because he was experienced but the opposite... Because he hasn't had time to master his torture techniques (in comparison to killers like Robert Ben Rhoades or David Parker Ray). Lastly, he didn't have time to rehearse a better alibi than "I was playing video games" or "I gave her a ride, she panicked when I drove a different way and I let her go" I think he is just egoistical and thought he was smart enough that he could get away with it.

That said, there was a long search of the abandoned buildings and Creek that runs near his house. Locals thought for sure they were going to find something with the amount of effort they put into searching that building. But they haven't said what they've found.

Thanks. I'm local as well and knew they had searched around Kaufman lake, but did not know they had searched nearby abandoned buildings. Do you know if they searched the old Johnson plant close to his complex? Are these the abandoned buildings you are talking about?

You are correct: The day that they released the footage of her getting in the car, they identified him through vehicle registration records and first made contact with him that evening. They executed a search warrant for it on the 15th.

From a Chinese source, it has been suggested that authorities believe she was killed about five hours after he picked her up.

It is possible they have found something during their search, as according to news reports the prosecution wants to call at least one expert witness to testify about cadaver dog searching.

 

[dm92]

Thanks. That explains it but I have to wonder if he was lying and maybe his wife did not know about his extra curricular behaviors.

Im pretty sure that his wife knew about his extracurricular activities, <modsnip>. However, I'm pretty convinced she had no idea about what activities he had planned for June 9th-10th.

 

[mrsobrien]

Thanks. That explains it but I have to wonder if he was lying and maybe his wife did not know about his extra curricular behaviors.

I can only vaguely allude to this due to TOS, buuuuut.... my research leads me to believe that all his "extracurricular" activities were out in the open. I cannot substantiate this within the rules though, so take it for what it is.

Btw, I'm referring to extracurricular sexual activity only. I have no reason to believe the women in his life were privy to the abduction or murder.

 

[dm92]

How sad. He just wants him to tell where the body is so they can take her home for burial. It is so upsetting and this animal had no empathy for others. He was/is a selfish .

Most murderers never tell where the body is because they have a glimmer of hope they can somehow weasel their way out of it through appeals even if they get convicted. He needs to realize that is not going to happen in this case and tell what he did with her.

That vid is from back in mid-June, not long after the family arrived here. At the time, they were still thinking she was alive and had no idea, just like all of the rest of us, that by this time the FBI had found Christensen, executed a search warrant for his car and electronic devices, and had put him under surveillance.

That said, though I've seen plenty of stories where they have indicated they want the death penalty, they have also said that they are willing to make a deal in return for her body.

These poor souls just want to take their girl home, and it is completely heartbreaking. I really hope they can find her remains so they can take her home and at least have a measure of peace. I really hope he wasn't able to do something that obliterated the body or made the remains unrecoverable. If he did, it's going to be one last massive, unbearable heartbreak to end a story that has been nothing but heartbreak after heartbreak ever since June 9th....

 

[trunkizback]

That said, there was a long search of the abandoned buildings and Creek that runs near his house. Locals thought for sure they were going to find something with the amount of effort they put into searching that building. But they haven't said what they've found.( end Quote )

I used to work at the old Johnson Ross plant, Many of us are curious whether that was ever searched, We couldn't get any answers from anyone. As I posted a month or so ago, it may seem to be too close to where he lives to dump a body but as Kitty has said ..Maybe he had pressure on a lot sooner than he thought and had to go with whatever was close, And since he passed that plant nearly daily on the way to the gym, he would have known how to get in there, IMO. And now that you;ve posted, It makes me realize,,, just maybe they DID find sometrhing there. Siigh.

 

[Niner]

Just a reminder of what's going on today:

Tuesday, January 9th:
*Motion to Suppress DA's Expert Witnesses Hearing (ET) - IL - Yingying Zhang (26) missing on June 9, 2017 - Brendt A. Christensen (28) accused kidnapping (Federal charge) resulting in death of Yingying and 2 counts of making false statements to FBI; Trial set to begin 2/27/18 10/11 Update: Pled not guilty to additional charges.
Motion filed 10/24/17 for another delay of trial to start Feb. 27th. Defense entered an order giving government prosecutors E. Miller & B. Frese until Nov. 3rd to respond. Federal Pros oppose trial delay; Pros will decide by 2/1/18 whether to seek DP.
1/3 hearing: Defense wants DA's expert witnesses dismissed, as they have not received required forensic analysis.

:judge:

 

[dm92]

FYI, the autopsy has been completed on the Wayne County remains, and they have been transferred to Quantico for examination by the FBI.

http://www.x95radio.com/2018/01/08/autopsy-completed-on-human-remains-found-in-wayne-county/

No idea why this was done in Bloomington. I figured it would have been done in Springfield. No clue if this means anything or not......

 

[Webthrush]

FYI, the autopsy has been completed on the Wayne County remains, and they have been transferred to Quantico for examination by the FBI.

http://www.x95radio.com/2018/01/08/autopsy-completed-on-human-remains-found-in-wayne-county/

No idea why this was done in Bloomington. I figured it would have been done in Springfield. No clue if this means anything or not......

With so many missing persons cases out there, pretty disappointing that they aren’t at least releasing enough info to rule out some cases (…or maybe they are privately contacting some families to say ‘it’s NOT your loved one’?)
Anyway, now just waiting to hear news about the court motions from today. Any word?

 

[Shiressleuth]

FYI, the autopsy has been completed on the Wayne County remains, and they have been transferred to Quantico for examination by the FBI.

http://www.x95radio.com/2018/01/08/autopsy-completed-on-human-remains-found-in-wayne-county/

No idea why this was done in Bloomington. I figured it would have been done in Springfield. No clue if this means anything or not......

The Quantico forensic anthropologist would be able to determine if the skull was Asian IMO.
Also, could Bloomington mean a connection to Lauren Spierer was initially suspected? Or do they mean Bloomington, Illinois?