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

[AnemoneBrown]

This is interesting and helpful! I just have not listened to "metal" music in years but I'm still appreciative of Bruce Dickinson's operatic voice. So, he was a known metalhead. Interesting. I still think the choice of A Matter of Life and Death to permeate that room was foreshadowing, at a minimum. Thank you!

Why former?
They're great.
I love Metal...
He was a known metal head... Maiden is not hardcore, he was into far more extreme metal, his facebook may still be up, some are listed on t, also his fetlife and other profiles...
But a genuine metal head would have had an awful lot more paraphernalia than appears to be there, decorating the dark abyss...

 

[kittythehare]

This is off topic but am only mentioning it because at lunch earlier today/yesterday, I read an Irish Independant account of this story . I noticed in the Indo report, that the judge disallowed most child psychiatrists' testimony and opinion. I was mentally comparing it to this very long ride BC's defense has taken us all on, particularly, her family and with apparent impunity.
Here's a link to The irish Times version of the story. It's horrible. Awful, but some people might be interested in reading it
It also discusses Interview techniques for murders and other high level crime.. Reminded me of how the police handled his interview, yesterday
It's just been completed and guilty verdict obtained
Ana Kriegel murder trial: The complete story

 

[kittythehare]

I'm too tired to do this properly but just wondering whether date of her death had any significance to him and whatever it is he believes in...this just one link, might be worthy of deeper searching
Historical Events on June 9

 

[kittythehare]

AP report just in
Woman testifies about wearing wire in scholar killing case

 

[Niner]

Thursday, June 20th:
*Trial continues (Day 6) (@ 1:30pm CT) - 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 with jury selection & took until 6/11/19 to pick a jury. Trial should last about a week & a half (was 5 weeks previously). Opening statements expected to start 6/12 Wednesday morning. Judge expects a verdict between June 21 and June 24. If there ends up being a sentencing phase, judge believes it would start on July 8 so the 4th of July wouldn't interfere with the process. 12 jurors & 6 alternates. (7 men & 5 women).
Jury Selection Days 1 to 7 (6/3/19 to 6/7/19) & Trial days 1 to 3 (6/2/19 to 6/14/19) reference post #151 here:
Still Missing - IL - Yingying Zhang, 26, Urbana, 9 June 2017 #9 *Arrest*
6/16/19 Update: The Court Has Ruled That Dr. Zoline’s Testimony is Admissible. Trial continues to Monday, 6/17.
6/17/19 Day 4: Defense filed motion asking court to seek an explanation from the U of I as to why they didn’t comply with a subpoena on BC’s counseling evaluations. Defense suggests UI could be held in contempt, Judge says he will review. State witnesses: FBI Special Agent Huckstadt. Senior FBI Forensic Examiner William O’Sullivan. Prosecutors spent the last hour or so giving a detailed look into Christensen's digital life - his texts, browsing history and social media postings - in the weeks before and after Yingying disappeared. University of Illinois Police Detective Eric Stiverson (Crime scene investigator). Trial continues to 6/18.
6/18/19 Day 5: State witnesses: UIPD detective Tom Geis. BI Special Agent Katherine Tenaglia. Emily Hogan (the UI grad student approached (6/9/17) by BC). Charles Hill (he was locked up in the Macon County jail && was housed next to Christensen in summer 2017). FBI Special Agent Michael Maguire (handled the Crime Scene Teams gathering evidence from BC's car & apt). McHenry County K9 deputy. FBI Special Agent Douglas Seccombe (out of Chicago, took over search of BC's apt). Special Agent Courtney Corbett. Judge James Shadid ordered attorneys for the University of Illinois to appear at the courthouse Monday & bring documents related to Christensen's treatment at the school's counseling center. Court continues at 1:30pm tomorrow, 6/19. (Judge has funeral to attend in morning). Federal prosecutors are expected to call their final witnesses in the trial & rest their case either Wednesday afternoon or Thursday. Christensen’s federal defenders will then call at least two witnesses of their own to testify.
6/19/19 Day 6: State witnesses: FBI Forensic Examiner Amanda Bakker. Terra Bullis (gf of BC). Prosecutors play secret FBI recordings done with BC & TEB. Trial continues to 6/20.

 

[MsFacetious]

So in addition to his defense admitting he killed her on day 1 of the trial, and now this testimony that her blood and DNA was definitely found under his carpet in his apartment by the odds of 97,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000-to-1

I question again why the Prosecution doesnt just rest their case. I am sure they have their reasons and maybe its just to get all the evidence on record to help squash any future appeals.

During an appeal the only evidence considered is the trial record. If the prosecution rests, then none of the evidence will come in when he appeals. They can't let that happen. They have to ensure it all gets in there.

He cleaned up too well for an maateur, particularly for a guy that dislikes cleaning bathrooms!
He disposed of her too well for an amateur...
If the entire FBI and local police have been unsuccessful at all attempts towards locating her, sadly, it means he is good, practiced...

Or just lucky.

Josh Powell
Plus many others.

 

[kittythehare]

new- sketches of Tb incl
Trial Day 6: Christensen's ex-girlfriend testifies, DNA evidence unveiled

 

[altojack]

Poor TEB, I really felt for her yesterday and more ahead for her today.

Is it me or has this seemed like a longgggg week to anyone else. This is my first twitter court case and compared to a live trial, time has dragged.

If BC does get on the stand, I wonder what his demeanour will be. Will he tell us what we want to know? That's the question.

I've not seen or heard much about YYs family in a few days. I worry about mum, she's not very strong and this must be a massive weight on her heart.

 

[Spellbound]

It does feel like a long week, altojack. Twitter by tweet is better than nothing, but it is so hard this way. It helps to see how witnesses emote, and to see the verbal/emotional reactions of a defendant.

Anyone remember why we could not have live stream for this one?


I doubt very much BC will take the stand. He seems rather content with himself, smug as he is.

 

[Webthrush]

Perchance does anyone know why the 55-min. police interview with BC ends as abruptly as it does (just as it's gettin' real interesting!); sounds like there's mention of taking a break, but with implication that they will continue (or did BC totally opt out at this point?).

 

[Spellbound]

I think this is the site that some of you cannot access...? If som I am sorry.

Link to Day 6 recap
LIVE: The trial of Brendt Christensen, Day 6

Image gallery Day 6 (luminal evidence)
Christensen Trial: Day Six


Another summary, not as detailed
Day 6: Brendt Christensen’s ex-girlfriend testifies about recordings taken when she wore wire for FBI

Reporter's Notebook, Day 1-6, through Amanda Bakker, FBI Forensic Examiner, no TB
Reporter’s Notebook: Complete notes from the Christensen trial

 

[Spellbound]

Perchance does anyone know why the 55-min. police interview with BC ends as abruptly as it does (just as it's gettin' real interesting!); sounds like there's mention of taking a break, but with implication that they will continue (or did BC totally opt out at this point?).

I can't answer your question, but there was a second FBI interview. The first interview was June 15, the second on June 17

[Oh! I may have found it. BC ended the interview:
Brendt Christensen Trial: Video of FBI interrogation played on day 2 of Yingying Zhang murder trial
On the video, Christensen describes the girl he picked up as Asian, around 20, speaking "broken English" and running late for an appointment, but says he dropped her off after a few blocks.

Investigators keep pressing until Christensen says, "I think it's time that I stop answering...I think I've tried to help enough."]

Brendt Christensen Trial: Disturbing new details revealed in audio played at Yingying Zhang murder trial
Friday morning the jury heard from another FBI agent who conducted a second interview with Christensen in which he appeared to try to clear up some earlier statements that he had made to investigators.

That interview was conducted a couple days after a very contentious interview with the FBI and police in which Christensen admitted he did pick someone up resembling Yingying Zhang the day she disappeared after initially claiming he'd been home all day.

During the interview that the jury saw Friday, Christensen volunteered that he had cut his finger in his car recently and if investigators found blood in the vehicle, it was his.

....
Video from 2nd FBI interview played in Chinese scholar slaying trial - Xinhua | English.news.cn

(Second interview) Families of both sides and jury watched the video of an FBI agent interviewing Christensen on June 17, 2017, in which he appeared to try to clean up some earlier statements that he had made to investigators.

 

[dm92]

Perchance does anyone know why the 55-min. police interview with BC ends as abruptly as it does (just as it's gettin' real interesting!); sounds like there's mention of taking a break, but with implication that they will continue (or did BC totally opt out at this point?).

So people don’t see him invoking his rights. The defense wanted a mistrial over this, because the jury saw that part, and supposedly it is prejudicial. Of course, there is nothing more prejudicial than your defense attorney starting off his opening statement by saying “he did it”, so.......

 

[Spellbound]

So people don’t see him invoking his rights. The defense wanted a mistrial over this, because the jury saw that part, and supposedly it is prejudicial. Of course, there is nothing more prejudicial than your defense attorney starting off his opening statement by saying “he did it”, so.......

I may have found it. BC ended the interview:
Brendt Christensen Trial: Video of FBI interrogation played on day 2 of Yingying Zhang murder trial
On the video, Christensen describes the girl he picked up as Asian, around 20, speaking "broken English" and running late for an appointment, but says he dropped her off after a few blocks.

Investigators keep pressing until Christensen says, "I think it's time that I stop answering...I think I've tried to help enough."

 

[Deleted member 158085]

Ben Zigterman on Twitter

Listened to more clips recorded by Terra Bullis with Christensen, as he gradually reveals more to her. (1/10)

 

[kittythehare]

Perchance does anyone know why the 55-min. police interview with BC ends as abruptly as it does (just as it's gettin' real interesting!); sounds like there's mention of taking a break, but with implication that they will continue (or did BC totally opt out at this point?).

I think @Hatfield posted the end of it.
Day it came in , midst of wailing convo cos many of us could not get sound.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

Ben Zigterman on Twitter

Two days before the campus vigil, Christensen tells Bullis he drove by her apartment June 9. Bullis asks why he didn't text her, as she wasn't busy. Christensn claimed she was. (2/10)

At one point, says, "Nothing you can tell them is actually going to help me, or you or Michelle." Says that's what his lawyers told him, and he thinks his wife is on board. (3/10)

Says he didn't recognize picture of Ms. Zhang bc "I don't know Chinese people." Says was trying to help her, so "the moral of the story is to not help people." Says he's the scapegoat of the investgiation (4/10)

Christensen talks about Ted Bundy getting love letters in prison. Bullis asks if he still has fantasies about serial kilers? "Maybe," he responds. (5/10)

He talks about how it's easier for serial killers to get away with it if their victims are prostitutes. Partly fascinated in Bundy because he killed college women. (6/10)

Christensen says he wishes he could talk more freely, but still feels paranoid. "Even if I did do it," he says he wouldn't tell anyone. (7/10)

Bullis says she wants to know everything, but Christensen says that she could then be considered an accomplice and face jail time. (8/10)

Bullis says she'd be loyal, but Christensen says, "people aren't rational when confronted with a decision like that." "I care about you too much to ever try to put you in that situation." (9/10)

Campus vigil recording expected later this morning (10/10)

 

[Ursamajr]

LIVE: The trial of Brendt Christensen, Day 7
— Christensen talks about Ted Bundy getting love letters in prison. Bullis asks if he still has fantasies about serial kilers? “Maybe,” he responds.

I hope that no one sends him love letters. I know that won't happen though.

 

[kittythehare]

LIVE: The trial of Brendt Christensen, Day 7
apologies, double post.

 

[kittythehare]

PEORIA — When his ex-girlfriend walked into the courtroom, Brendt Christensen looked straight ahead.

As Terra Bullis walked by, he didn't make eye contact with the woman who wore a wire for the FBI and recorded him bragging in gruesome detail about how on June 9, 2017, he killed visiting University of Illinois scholar Yingying Zhang.
As she testified Wednesday, Bullis started to tear up at points, describing her complicated relationship with a man whose attorneys have admitted killed Ms. Zhang.
Christensen's ex-girlfriend on wearing wire: 'I wanted to know why he was lying'