Deceased/Not Found IL - Yingying Zhang, 26, Urbana, 9 June 2017 #8 *Arrest*

[YESorNO]

Christensen Trial, Day 6 | Jury goal met

06/10/2019

"...The jurors will first decide whether Christensen is guilty or not, which they need to reach a unanimous decision about.

The main trial is expected to last about a week and a half.

During that, the jurors will not be sequestered, Judge Shadid said.

If they find him guilty, there will be a short break, followed by the sentencing phase, where the same jury decides whether Christensen deserves the death penalty.

To receive a death sentence, the jury must again reach a unanimous decision. If they don't, Christensen will be sentenced to life in prison without parole....

After the group questioning, the jurors were called into the judge's chambers one by one for individual questioning.
At the request of the prosecutors, and without objection from the defense, Judge Shadid explained why the individual questioning is being done behind closed doors.

These questions focused on the potential jurors' views on the death penalty, including various hypotheticals that may not be present in this case, Shadid said, so asking these questions in private allows jurors to answer honestly and openly.

Shadid asked most of the questions based on submitted questions from the attorneys, he said, though the attorneys did do some of the individual questioning...."

Christensen Trial, Day 6 | Jury goal met

 

[Chambana]

Well Brendt your fate shall be decided soon. Your evil games of manipulating the justice system and having total control will soon end. I have no sympathy for people like you, you dug your grave now lay in it.

 

[kittythehare]

Fox is running the story.
This was the intended effect of today's filing, I imagine. Fully discredit witness within 2 days of trial proper commencing.

Fair means or foul
Christensen's lawyers request ex-girlfriend's mental health records

 

[kittythehare]

ABC also reporting the story!
University of Illinois murder trial about to open under witness cloud

 

[kittythehare]

Christensen is using the defense to attack TB.
Christensen has an intimate knowledge of this highly vulnerable woman.
He knows what breaks her, more than we do.
Last week they released her name publicly.
This week they're releasing her HIPPA records while inferring she is to blame for his actions- 'she introduced him to BDSM'
They're going for 'trial by media' in a mega way, having had the trial shifted for same reason.
I really do hope this law firm is investigated for ethics violations because if they're not, I lose faith in justice and compassion as a factor in US trials.(any trials, not just US)
I hope somebody puts in a FOI for costs for defense.
I hope a panel of legal experts wholly investigate the entire gamut of tactics being used to defend evil.
A young girl is dead.
Another is being destroyed right out in the open. We are witnessing this, yet powerless as we were when we knew nothing about what BC allegedly did after he apparently just gave her a lift.

Are they hoping TB will refuse to take the stand? Is that why they are preying on her?
Attacking a woman they describe as mentally ill is not a good look.
I hope she holds up and has the mental strength to withstand this disgraceful attack on her character reputation and integrity.

 

[Niner]

Tuesday, June 11th:
*Trial continues-Jury Selection (Day 7) (@ 9am ET) - IL - Yingying Zhang (26) (missing on June 9, 2017, Urbana; not found) - *Brendt A. Christensen (28) indicted (6/30/17) on kidnapping (Federal charge) resulting in death of Yingying & 2 counts of giving false statements to FBI. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. DA will seek DP.
Trial started 6/3/19; should last about a week & a half (was 5 weeks previously). Jury selection starts 6/3 & will probably take one week. Opening statements expected to start 6/12 Wednesday morning. 12 jurors & 6 alternates.
Jury selection Day 1 to 5 (6/3/19 to 6/7/19) reference post #742 here:
Still Missing - IL - Yingying Zhang, 26, Urbana, 9 June 2017 #8 *Arrest*
6/10/19 Day 6: The morning group of 16 was still being questioned as of 1:30 p.m. Another group of 16 potential jurors was supposed to start being questioned in the afternoon. They'll return tomorrow morning (6/11) to narrow the 70 to 12 jurors and 6 alternates. Opening statements will begin at 9am on 6/12.

 

[Ursamajr]

I'm just getting to read the defenses filing on TBs credibility. I'm furious. BC and his lawyers are sick. Those lawyers know 100% that BC in involved in YingYings disappearance and yet they are helping him come up with all the different ways to pass blame to anyone and everyone else. I'm sorry but you don't just magically get into BDSM one day. You either wanted to experiment or you didn't. What are they trying to say, BC didn't really want to kidnap and restrain YingYing but since he was once told about BDSM it's now "oh okay i didn't want to but I guess I have to now" What kind of cockamamie bull is that??

Also: lets take a woman (TB) who has had issues with mental health (and at least one attempt), let's take her and destroy her. If she is pushed to attempt again (this could do it) will they be at fault?! I hope she is in a safe space. Please let it be so.

BC is a monster and his lawyers are garbage humans. I hope they are terrible at their jobs.

Thanks for reading my rant.

 

[kittythehare]

I'm just getting to read the defenses filing on TBs credibility. I'm furious. BC and his lawyers are sick. Those lawyers know 100% that BC in involved in YingYings disappearance and yet they are helping him come up with all the different ways to pass blame to anyone and everyone else. I'm sorry but you don't just magically get into BDSM one day. You either wanted to experiment or you didn't. What are they trying to say, BC didn't really want to kidnap and restrain YingYing but since he was once told about BDSM it's now "oh okay i didn't want to but I guess I have to now" What kind of cockamamie bull is that??

Also: lets take a woman (TB) who has had issues with mental health (and at least one attempt), let's take her and destroy her. If she is pushed to attempt again (this could do it) will they be at fault?! I hope she is in a safe space. Please let it be so.

BC is a monster and his lawyers are garbage humans. I hope they are terrible at their jobs.

Thanks for reading my rant.

Cool rant and yes to all of it.
I sincerely hope they are disbarred because, like their client they will stop at nothing, have no moral compass and the ethics book was never read.

 

[kittythehare]

A civil case
Missing scholar's estate sues Christensen, two at UI Counseling Center

This is all very fuzzy... not sure it's the best plan or methodology.
Christensen has nothing.
Fox reporting it too
Yingying's estate suing U of I social workers, Christensen

 

[JaneEyre]

A civil case
Missing scholar's estate sues Christensen, two at UI Counseling Center

This is all very fuzzy... not sure it's the best plan or methodology.
Christensen has nothing.
Fox reporting it too
Yingying's estate suing U of I social workers, Christensen

Yikes. Doesn’t this add credence to defense’s position that UI Counseling has culpability (and so add mitigating factors for Christensen)?

I wish the private lawsuits would have been filed after the criminal trial, or at least well into it. Are potential jurors already under order not to read news about the case?

 

[kittythehare]

Yikes. Doesn’t this add credence to defense’s position that UI Counseling has culpability (and so add mitigating factors for Christensen)?

I wish the private lawsuits would have been filed after the criminal trial, or at least well into it. Are potential jurors already under order not to read news about the case?

Yeah, Agree, couldn't help wondering whether family is being exploited by unscrupulous lawyers suing at this time.
It is likely his visits to the therapists were part of his grand plan, as opposed to a personal emergency. It is likely that information will be revealed during the case if prosecution can prove meticulous planning...
Oh God..

 

[kittythehare]

Sadly this is no longer available to european readers, they have, in the past written very good comprehensive articles
https://www.tribpub.com/gdpr/chicagotribune.com/

 

[Hatfield]

BC's defense team trying to impeach TEB.......

https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ilcd.70076/gov.uscourts.ilcd.70076.371.0.pdf

The girl may be a mess, but they have recorded conversations and text exchanges between the two regarding this matter; it's not like TEB has to testify about things BC told her that weren't recorded....

It seems to me that the stress, anxiety and pressure she endured while going undercover and trying to help the prosecution caused her immense stress. I am sure some of the health care visits she made were directly related to having to wear the wire and secretly record BC. Any visits she made that were paid for by the Prosecution team hints that they kindly offered her any emotional help as she was helping them by going undercover.

It had to be very stressful and unnerving for someone that was not a professional undercover agent.

"At a minimum, the government has receipts for payments made for eight psychologist appointments,"

It would be very stressful and even understandable if someone wanted to get physchological help due to the stress of wearing a wire and secretly recording a person you are close with. She was probably terrified of being caught by him and she could have been afraid for her own life by that point in time.

Any help she received is understandable to me during that time.

It would be any records in her past prior to her involvement in the undercover operation that the defense is also probably trying to acquire.

If the defense is allowed these records then I am afraid it will affect the jury about her. The Prosecution needs to be sure to point out how being undercover is a very stressful and upsetting thing to do and some people benefit from getting emotional help.

Its obvious to me that the defendant and his defense team are agressively going to defend him. Its now up to the prosecution to do the same and go on an agressive attack during this case and trial.

I am buckling up for a major battle.

https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ilcd.70076/gov.uscourts.ilcd.70076.371.0.pdf

 

[Hatfield]

A civil case
Missing scholar's estate sues Christensen, two at UI Counseling Center

This is all very fuzzy... not sure it's the best plan or methodology.
Christensen has nothing.
Fox reporting it too
Yingying's estate suing U of I social workers, Christensen

Whoa. Wait a minute.

There is something said in that article that maybe points to the wife not even living in the apartment all the time anymore.

"Christensen further described in sessions that he developed an obsession with serial killers and his wife had left him, according to the lawsuit."

Do we know when and what date she allegedly left him?

Could that have contributed toward his actions on woman?

We know LE found her there at time of his arrest but when did this occur where she allegedly left him for the first time?

We know he had obsessions with bizarre fantasy role playing games before he committed the murder so maybe she originally left him before that too. And that may have contributed to his involvement with other woman like the girlfriend who recorded him and also could have contributed to his resentment of women in general.

Yingying's estate suing U of I social workers, Christensen

 

[kittythehare]

Whoa. Wait a minute.

There is something said in that article that maybe points to the wife not even living in the apartment all the time anymore.

"Christensen further described in sessions that he developed an obsession with serial killers and his wife had left him, according to the lawsuit."

Do we know when and what date she allegedly left him?

Could that have contributed toward his actions on woman?

We know LE found her there at time of his arrest but when did this occur where she allegedly left him for the first time?

We know he had obsessions with bizarre fantasy role playing games before he committed the murder so maybe she originally left him before that too. And that may have contributed to his involvement with other woman like the girlfriend who recorded him and also could have contributed to his resentment on women in general.

https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ilcd.70076/gov.uscourts.ilcd.70076.371.0.pdf

No, she was still living with him.
They had an 'open relationship'.
We are not sure whether it was BC or Michelle who chose this status first.
They both had other partners while still living together.
I think his alleged attack on the woman in the graveyard, 2013 , occurred just a year after his marriage to Michelle.
This is congruent with theory that his visit to college therapists was insincere and merely part of his great plan to 'kill a person'.
Michelle in her original conversation with FBI agents alluded to the fact that she had become afraid of him.
She helped scrub many of his online posts, reddit in particular, following his arrest. I think the police were able to retrieve the deleted posts. His reddit name was allegedly bacbac and those posts are among the evidence being presented by the prosecution. It is possible that his alleged express wish to become a serial killer is amongst that content.

Although Michelle divorced him following his arrest, his defense contacted her in the interim and managed to manipulate her to the extent that she is now testifying on his behalf. Serious mind -control games going on between them.
She was unable to answer the prosecution question s to whether she still loved him at her last appearance. She merely replied 'Is that relevant', while looking deep in his eyes according to local media reports.
YY taken June 9
Relationship with TB commenced 2 months prior, April9.
Joined Fetlife ( I forget date again though we discussed it at length)
Married Michelle, 2012
Attacked girl in graveyard- 2013

Article is inaccurate. Original reports stated he was depressedbecause his wife wanted an open relationship.
We have no way to know who instigated the 'opening' but it was well opened since 2013 by his goodself, all by himself.
It's unfortunate Michelle has decided to defend him but it is an indication of the kid of control he exercises over those in his orbit.
She had 10 years of his instability, betrayal, infidelity etc etc etc, yet she still defends him, Stockholm Syndrome personified is what it looks like.
She had been away for the weekend of June 9.
When she returned she stated she noticed his favourite book 'American Psycho' was missing. the exhibit list for prosecution includes that book which they state he gave to TB, making one wonder whether he also managed to squeeze in a meeting with TB that same weekend. She also noticed a half tank of perol was missing.
When police questioned her in their initial interview as to her opinion on his capability to commit such an act, she appeared to agree that he was capable of this.

 

[kittythehare]

Here's the full filing of the civil case
Zhang’s Estate Sues U Of I Counselors, Christensen
It reads #weak to me.

 

[Hatfield]

No, she was still living with him.
They had an 'open relationship'.
We are not sure whether it was BC or Michelle who chose this status first.
They both had other partners while still living together.
I think his alleged attack on the woman in the graveyard, 2013 , occurred just a year after his marriage to Michelle.
This is congruent with theory that his visit to college therapists was insincere and merely part of his great plan to 'kill a person'.
Michelle in her original conversation with FBI agents alluded to the fact that she had become afraid of him.
She helped scrub many of his online posts, reddit in particular, following his arrest. I think the police were able to retrieve the deleted posts. His reddit name was allegedly bacbac and those posts are among the evidence being presented by the prosecution. It is possible that his alleged express wish to become a serial killer is amongst that content.

Although Michelle divorced him following his arrest, his defense contacted her in the interim and managed to manipulate her to the extent that she is now testifying on his behalf. Serious mind -control games going on between them.
She was unable to answer the prosecution question s to whether she still loved him at her last appearance. She merely replied 'Is that relevant', while looking deep in his eyes according to local media reports.
YY taken June 9
Relationship with TB commenced 2 months prior, April9.
Joined Fetlife ( I forget date again though we discussed it at length)
Married Michelle, 2012
Attacked girl in graveyard- 2013

Article is inaccurate. Original reports stated he was depressedbecause his wife wanted an open relationship.
We have no way to know who instigated the 'opening' but it was well opened since 2013 by his goodself, all by himself.
It's unfortunate Michelle has decided to defend him but it is an indication of the kid of control he exercises over those in his orbit.
She had 10 years of his instability, betrayal, infidelity etc etc etc, yet she still defends him, Stockholm Syndrome personified is what it looks like.
She had been away for the weekend of June 9.
When she returned she stated she noticed his favourite book 'American Psycho' was missing. the exhibit list for prosecution includes that book which they state he gave to TB, making one wonder whether he also managed to squeeze in a meeting with TB that same weekend. She also noticed a half tank of perol was missing.
When police questioned her in their initial interview as to her opinion on his capability to commit such an act, she appeared to agree that he was capable of this.

Thanks. Lots of good information.

The article does say "his wife had left him, according to the lawsuit."

We know she ended up leaving him and getting a divorce but its not very clear when they are referring to here. Maybe she first left him awhile back and maybe they talked and decided on an open relationship and maybe she came back with that agreement.

It makes me question which one of the two began to want to have an open relationship. If it was her then it could have been a trigger of sorts for him.

The strange thing is she stayed with him for so long even after that. Its a big mystery to me as far as their relationship goes.

Like maybe he was more of a dominator type in a relationship and was she so submissive that she never questioned him on things. Just a big mystery as we have not heard much about her or their relationship.

Would love to know where she was that weekend and why she had to be gone. Did he maybe have a hand in her being gone and maybe it was setup by him that she would not be home. Somehow he felt comfortable that she would not walk in on them when he abducted the student.

Hopefully the trial will answer some of the lingering questions.

 

[kittythehare]

Thanks. Lots of good information.

The article does say "his wife had left him, according to the lawsuit."

We know she ended up leaving him and getting a divorce but its not very clear when they are referring to here. Maybe she first left him awhile back and maybe they talked and decided on an open relationship and maybe she came back with that agreement.

It makes me question which one of the two began to want to have an open relationship. If it was her then it could have been a trigger of sorts for him.

The strange thing is she stayed with him for so long even after that. Its a big mystery to me as far as their relationship goes.

Like maybe he was more of a dominator type in a relationship and was she so submissive that she never questioned him on things. Just a big mystery as we have not heard much about her or their relationship.

Would love to know where she was that weekend and why she had to be gone. Did he maybe have a hand in her being gone and maybe it was setup by him that she would not be home. Somehow he felt comfortable that she would not walk in on them when he abducted the student.

Hopefully the trial will answer some of the lingering questions.

I'm not sure which roles they played with eachother but I somehow doubt she, as a new bride in 2013 would have agreed to his attempted strangulation of girl in the grave-yard. He was still hunting back then.
Sometimes I feel they had a mother-son type dynamic... but that's mere fantasy on my part... did she feel responsible for his welfare? Does she now?The other problem is that he allegedly tried to pick up another girl a few days beforehand, when Michelle would definitely have been home.
She was also supporting him financially, I think.
She had apparently many reasons to leave, over the years, but she never made that break. From what we know it is more likely he was controlling her nad she was in a hopelessly co-dependant relationship with him.
I'm not sure how much we will learn at the trial, maybe very little.
Michelle is now protecting him again and casting doubt on search warrants validity. Is she likely to sacrifice herself during the trial?
I think -yes.
She will paint a picture of whatever dynamic she believes, along with his defense attorneys, will paint him in a blameless light. She still wants to save him, that seems clear.
She has not been accused of or charged with anything but is she not borderline 'accessory-after-the-fact by scrubbing incriminating social media posts he made?
I hope she regains control of her life and I see her as a victim more than anything.
He also said , allegedly in another report we shared here, also to the therapists that she was the only woman for him. That is what suggested most strongly that the entire visit was part of his plan rather than a genuine seeking of help. If so, it is quite possible and hopefully likely that the two therapists recognised this and was the reason they did not order more precautions.
He was quite possibly stoned when he attended as well.
The filing did not make clear whether lawyers had actually seen the video recording of the session or had merely read about it.

 

[Hatfield]

Here's the full filing of the civil case
Zhang’s Estate Sues U Of I Counselors, Christensen
It reads #weak to me.

This article has the court finding and that helps to try to clear up when the wife left him and maybe the first time she left him. Its still a little muddy but we are getting close to knowing an exact date when he reportedly said she left him.

In the "Facts Common to All Counts" section in the included Court Filing......

Item #25 says.....
"Defendant Christensen also recounted that his wife left him two days earlier and that he did not want to live anymore."

Now the problem is going backwards in that document and trying to decipher when exactly he reported that.

Its not clear if it was the initial interview or a followup interview but I think from #17 we can safely say that the wife originally left him somewhere around March 21, 2017.

#17
On March 21, 2017.....

So if that assumption is right and since the victim disappeared on June 9, 2017, it may be safe to say that the wife did at least initially leave him well before he murdered the victim.

Its not uncommon for failing relationships to have multiple separations and periods of getting back together, so maybe it happened more than once even.

Zhang’s Estate Sues U Of I Counselors, Christensen

 

[kittythehare]

This article has the court finding and that helps to try to clear up when the wife left him and maybe the first time she left him. Its still a little muddy but we are getting close to knowing an exact date when he reportedly said she left him.

In the "Facts Common to All Counts" section in the included Court Filing......

Item #25 says.....
"Defendant Christensen also recounted that his wife left him two days earlier and that he did not want to live anymore."

Now the problem is going backwards in that document and trying to decipher when exactly he reported that.

Its not clear if it was the initial interview or a followup interview but I think from #17 we can safely say that the wife originally left him somewhere around March 21, 2017.

#17
On March 21, 2017.....

So if that assumption is right and since the victim disappeared on June 9, 2017, it may be safe to say that the wife did at least initially leave him well before he murdered the victim. I suspect the "open marriage" agreement happened after she first left him the very first time.

Zhang’s Estate Sues U Of I Counselors, Christensen

Maybe she never left him at all.
His fetlife status was open relationship.

Check his fetlife join date, I forget it but I have a feeling he was an active member and omitted reporting that to his therapists, ergo lying.
There had also been an allegation of cruelty against a guinea pig, not sure whether defense got this thrown out already or when and where it allegedly occurred. (I did search for this little creature but I found nothing)