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

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Christensen trial day 3 recap

Jun 15, 2019

"PEORIA,Ill. (WCIA) –Yingying Zhang’s family and the whole courtroom fell silent as prosecutors played a recording of Brendt Christensen explaining how he killed the missing Chinese scholar.

The man on trial for his life was recorded explaining exactly how he says he ended another’s. Christensen is charged with kidnapping and killing U of I scholar, Yingying Zhang, two years ago. Her body has never been found — a fact the jury heard Christensen brag about on Friday....

He was also recorded describing how he subdued Zhang, saying “She was valiant.”

Bullis asked, “Did she fight?” Christensen responded, “She fought more than anyone else I’ve ever met.”

Then he detailed how he says he killed her....

...He also said she was his 13th victim, saying “I am apparently very good at this.”

During their cross-examination, the defense accused Bullis of egging Christensen on, and again confirmed the FBI had no evidence he killed 12 other people.

The trial resumes at 9 a.m. on Monday."

Christensen trial day 3 recap
 
I just saw a discussion about that bolded portion in the McStay Trial thread. Chase Merritt has been found guilty of bludgeoning a family to death, including 2 toddlers, with a sledge hammer. :(

Some members who have had experience with the prison system, one of whom spent 15 years as a guard, said that prisoners are often 'expected' to arrive because others hear about it through the prison grapevine.

In jail, the defendants ride together for their court cases and hearings, etc. And when someone is sent from jail to prison, they know about some of the upcoming prisoners in the pipeline already.

So this guy will be known about before his arrival in prison.

In the discussion they explained that the prisoners know how to look up people's 'jackets.' [their court records and trial transcripts. ] They do so with hidden cell phones and by having others look things up for them on the outside. Also, they sometimes get time in prison library to research their own cases and they can use those resources to look up new arrivals too.

One reason they do so is to find out if any of the new arrivals are 'snitches' or informants. And they also look to see if there are baby killers/rapists on their way in too.

Wow, thank you for all that great information!

He was buying body building powder up t a couple of days before his arrest.. he was eating yoghurt and a kind of a healthy-type snack in court.
Would it be a fair bet to reckon they will, at least take his snacks?
I hope they do, peevishly.
All the gear is here, his receipts etc. Exhibits | Central District of Illinois | United States District Court
Yesterday it was a much bigger list of exhibits.
Photographs of his apartment office /2ndbedroom
his desk, looked like
They're all gone.
 
“I honestly still think it's possible he killed her in the car, took her to the apt. and did horrific things to her deceased body, and then made up a vivid BDSM role-play story for the girlfriend because he was so ashamed of how his plans failed.”

Your theory sound good until the baseball bat with bloods does not make sense and all the unnecessary bloods spills all over the bedroom and bathroom if he’s so wise as to already killed her before entering his home.

Brendt Christensen, quoted in that full transcript saying to his wife
“Fading into nothingness is the default with most people”

Much implying he wanted remembered in history and not forgotten away easily either in cruelty or evilness, so killing ZYY early on would not help in establishing his own legacy crime scene murdering. And by giving up ZYY body location when the trial is over he would quickly be forgotten after the case closed and solved as another murdered crime with a twisted mind. He wants to top that of Ted Bundy. To avoid and holding onto his own created legacy, he would need at all cost to hides the location of her remains a secret only to himself while the world kept questioning and ponder where he could he possibly hid her body years later after trial closed.

The transcripts also gave many invaluable insights on how he initially wanted to commit his sick-twisted fantasy quoted below,

Brendt Christensen, quoted in full transcript below reason for buying a duffle bag & related.
“In April he texted his girlfriend about purchasing bed restraints, a blind fold and a gag.”

“He discussed on that (BDSM) website an abduction fantasy involving kidnapping and raping a woman online. And he said his plan was to bind you, gag you, and likely pit you into a large duffle bag so no one could see you, and then get you in my truck, backseat.”

That really led me to believe he carried most of his plans out on ZYY as he’s described online! Most likely she’s been gag to keep quiet and put inside a duffle bag in be carried into his home.

What puzzling me most is how he’s able to disable her so quickly, like within minutes because IIRC, on that 2nd security video while the black colored Saturn was driving away from the camera we could see no sign on ZYY on the passenger side; either there is some time gap delayed from what law enforcement want us to see/know or something else happened in between caused several minutes delay of footage in that video to give us any clue.

Anyhow, this is personal from someone who has suffered somewhat of depression, my instinct tells me, he would like to hide her remains so someday he could come back and revisit it.

The graveyard immediately came into my mind. I remembered someone previously wrote he told the police officers he drove past by the graveyard when questioned, I wonder if that place if its near a place he frequents visit driving around his home?

It would not be that hard to just dug up a small hole and bury just ZYY head/skull as his trophy like Ted Bundy did to some of his victims displaying their severed heads at his home.

My other insane theory is that like a copycat of Ted Bundy that he chooses to devour some of ZYY flesh to as to have some form of god power mental thing over his victim’s. Again, if he just buried the skull and skeleton, would not need a big pit to do it. Burying it at a cemetery is also the least expected place to find a buried corpse out of randomness in the open. Ordinary people’s would think corpse and bodies exposed at cemetery would not raise much eyebrows of when discovered unexpectedly randomly.

Just my opinion to the case.

Ps. About his 13 kills also seem bluffing numbers to me to boast to his girlfriend implying he has started killing at 19, meaning he has killed at least once a year until he’s now this age to try to impress her further. And this my third account on this website thru the years kept forgetting my pass. :)
 
Your theory sound good until the baseball bat with bloods does not make sense and all the unnecessary bloods spills all over the bedroom and bathroom if he’s so wise as to already killed her before entering his home.

Brendt Christensen, quoted in that full transcript saying to his wife

Much implying he wanted remembered in history and not forgotten away easily either in cruelty or evilness, so killing ZYY early on would not help in establishing his own legacy crime scene murdering. And by giving up ZYY body location when the trial is over he would quickly be forgotten after the case closed and solved as another murdered crime with a twisted mind. He wants to top that of Ted Bundy. To avoid and holding onto his own created legacy, he would need at all cost to hides the location of her remains a secret only to himself while the world kept questioning and ponder where he could he possibly hid her body years later after trial closed.

The transcripts also gave many invaluable insights on how he initially wanted to commit his sick-twisted fantasy quoted below,

Brendt Christensen, quoted in full transcript below reason for buying a duffle bag & related.

That really led me to believe he carried most of his plans out on ZYY as he’s described online! Most likely she’s been gag to keep quiet and put inside a duffle bag in be carried into his home.

What puzzling me most is how he’s able to disable her so quickly, like within minutes because IIRC, on that 2nd security video while the black colored Saturn was driving away from the camera we could see no sign on ZYY on the passenger side; either there is some time gap delayed from what law enforcement want us to see/know or something else happened in between caused several minutes delay of footage in that video to give us any clue.

Anyhow, this is personal from someone who has suffered somewhat of depression, my instinct tells me, he would like to hide her remains so someday he could come back and revisit it.

The graveyard immediately came into my mind. I remembered someone previously wrote he told the police officers he drove past by the graveyard when questioned, I wonder if that place if its near a place he frequents visit driving around his home?

It would not be that hard to just dug up a small hole and bury just ZYY head/skull as his trophy like Ted Bundy did to some of his victims displaying their severed heads at his home.

My other insane theory is that like a copycat of Ted Bundy that he chooses to devour some of ZYY flesh to as to have some form of god power mental thing over his victim’s. Again, if he just buried the skull and skeleton, would not need a big pit to do it. Burying it at a cemetery is also the least expected place to find a buried corpse out of randomness in the open. Ordinary people’s would think corpse and bodies exposed at cemetery would not raise much eyebrows of when discovered unexpectedly randomly.

Just my opinion to the case.

Ps. About his 13 kills also seem bluffing numbers to me to boast to his girlfriend implying he has started killing at 19, meaning he has killed at least once a year until he’s now this age to try to impress her further. And this my third account on this website thru the years kept forgetting my pass. :)

Hi everyone. I'm a new member, but have been following this case. There was never any doubt bc killed yyz in my mind.

Given, what I just read about where he might bury her, I have given some thoughts about the graveyard theory. I have seen in some cemeteries where they dig a plot a few days before putting a casket in. Not sure if that how it is in the states. Is it possible that he went to one of those predug plot, spent half an hour to bury her there? Let's say Sunday night. The very next day, a casket goes on top of her remains... covered forever, and never be found...

He probably went back to check if they put the casket on top and buried the casket a few days later.

RIP yyz.

Just some thoughts.
 
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Hi everyone. I'm a new member, but have been following this case. There was never any doubt bc killed yyz in my mind.

Given, what I just read about where he might bury her, I have given some thoughts about the graveyard theory. I have seen in some cemeteries where they dig a plot a few days before putting a casket in. Not sure if that how it is in the states. Is it possible that he went to one of those predug plot, spent half an hour to bury her there? Let's say Sunday night. The very next day, a casket goes on top of her remains... covered forever, and never be found...

He probably went back to check if they put the casket on top and buried the casket a few days later.

RIP yyz.

Just some thoughts.
Anything is possible.
Here's a link to the opening statements, if you have not seen it yet. Welcome, if you are new.
Read: Full Transcript of Opening Statements in Brendt Christensen Trial
 
Wow, thank you for all that great information!

He was buying body building powder up t a couple of days before his arrest.. he was eating yoghurt and a kind of a healthy-type snack in court.
Would it be a fair bet to reckon they will, at least take his snacks?
I hope they do, peevishly.
All the gear is here, his receipts etc. Exhibits | Central District of Illinois | United States District Court
Yesterday it was a much bigger list of exhibits.
Photographs of his apartment office /2ndbedroom
his desk, looked like
They're all gone.

I can see them. It's a great link.
 
I just blew up this map again and wonder if any hiding place suggests itself from looking at it.
If he skulled a bottle of rum on top of a most vigorous execution of a girl-child, how much energy could he have left?
https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 2A.pdf
Anybody want to have a look at it?
Here is another interesting map. 20 to 30 mile radius from CU:

Screenshot_20190615-181655.jpg

BC's Astra probably averaged about 30 miles per gallon. Kickapoo SP is 30 miles to the east on this map. Clinton Lake SP about 30 miles to the west. Allerton Park is 30 miles southwest.

Where did the half a tank of gas go? That would be a couple of hundred miles in an Astra. IMO, since a suspicious black car description went out in CU fairly quickly, and after just committing murder, I don't see him driving around CU for 200 miles just cruising or looking for a good hiding spot.

Where did that half tank of gas go? See all that green on the satellite photo taken during the summer? If he did use a good portion of that half tank of gas to find a spot "where she will never be found" where do you start looking? That map is hundreds of square miles in area.

If Michelle is correct, and she seems to be kind of detail oriented, noticing the missing book for instance and essentially controlling his money while he is unemployed. Living on her (I assume) somewhat limited income she just might be detailed enough that she knew the Astra gas tank was near full when she left and below half full when she got back.

So IMVHO, I think it is probable that the location(s), note multiple possibly, of YY's remains is linked with that missing half gallon of gas/200 miles.

Just my thoughts knowing the area intimately. Just so many places within that radius to spend a couple of hours hiding/buring/sinking her remains. Even for a lazy guy that needs to get back home and chill for a few hours playing video games before his lazy butt has to start doing some serious apartment cleaning.

JMO/Guess
 
Here is another interesting map. 20 to 30 mile radius from CU:

View attachment 189065

BC's Astra probably averaged about 30 miles per gallon. Kickapoo SP is 30 miles to the east on this map. Clinton Lake SP about 30 miles to the west. Allerton Park is 30 miles southwest.

Where did the half a tank of gas go? That would be a couple of hundred miles in an Astra. IMO, since a suspicious black car description went out in CU fairly quickly, and after just committing murder, I don't see him driving around CU for 200 miles just cruising or looking for a good hiding spot.

Where did that half tank of gas go? See all that green on the satellite photo taken during the summer? If he did use a good portion of that half tank of gas to find a spot "where she will never be found" where do you start looking? That map is hundreds of square miles in area.

If Michelle is correct, and she seems to be kind of detail oriented, noticing the missing book for instance and essentially controlling his money while he is unemployed. Living on her (I assume) somewhat limited income she just might be detailed enough that she knew the Astra gas tank was near full when she left and below half full when she got back.

So IMVHO, I think it is probable that the location(s), note multiple possibly, of YY's remains is linked with that missing half gallon of gas/200 miles.

Just my thoughts knowing the area intimately. Just so many places within that radius to spend a couple of hours hiding/buring/sinking her remains. Even for a lazy guy that needs to get back home and chill for a few hours playing video games before his lazy butt has to start doing some serious apartment cleaning.

JMO/Guess
We do not know whether or not he used the car again that weekend.
We do know that Michelle is supporting him.
We do not know whether there was any petrol at all in the petrol tank when she left or returned.
We do know he is pretty lazy.
Some of us theorize that he may have kept her remains close to home, convenient for him, not 200 miles away.
 
Given that 'he is lazy' . It is a lot of trouble to drive miles and miles to get rid of evidence. The further you drive with evidence, the higher the chance of getting caught.

I imagine he had to rid the evidence fast and cleanup fast. No time to waste. Michelle the ex is coming and the police sniffing around. So it has to be somewhere close is my opinion.

Also, I'm convinced Michelle is accurate in her observation. I would be watching my every penny if I'm short on cash. Especially, if I'm the only one working.

Quite pathetic this guy. Bc that is.
 
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We do not know whether or not he used the car again that weekend.
We do know that Michelle is supporting him.
We do not know whether there was any petrol at all in the petrol tank when she left or returned.
We do know he is pretty lazy.
Some of us theorize that he may have kept her remains close to home, convenient for him, not 200 miles away.
My greatest hope is that YY's remains are found and her loving family can take her back home. It may not be this year but I hope that it happens eventually (remember the car that was accidentially driven into the strip mine lake at Kickapoo SP that took 10 years for LE to find).

I'm just throwing out ideas. Yes, it seems he was lazy, depressed, and lacked motivation to go to great effort or distance to put YY's body "where it would never be found". But BC was no criminal mastermind, as evidence has shown, and he was no Ted Bundy.

I wish I could help search for her but I now live 1000 miles away and go back just to visit my parents.

As the recent Woodland Park, CO murder has shown there are many ways to get rid of a body.

So just trying to think outside the box when I wonder what happened to the half tank of gas that was used that weekend that "shocked" Michelle since BC rarely left the apartment and didn't travel far outside town as she told investigators early on in the investigation.

From 12/18/2018 Champaign News- Gazette article:
"Before Michelle Christensen left for the weekend, she had filled up their black Saturn Astra with a full tank of gas, agent Katherine Tenaglia said at a pretrial hearing at the federal courthouse in Urbana.

So Michelle Christensen was "shocked" when she returned to find a half-tank had already been used, given that her husband usually doesn't leave the apartment or travel that far outside of Champaign, Tenaglia said while recalling a conversation with Michelle Christensen."

So I was kind of wondering, like Michelle wondered, why did he use so much gas over the weekend when that was shockingly out of character for him??

My understanding is she made these statements early in the investigation long before she decided to testify for the defense.

BC, do the right thing, man up, and give YY's family what they desperately want and deserve before you are murdered in prison or put to death.
 
Great post Trunk, you are always very open and straightforward,I appreciate it.
I'm interested in prison again now. I have a question.
How quickly do prisoners know the identity and reputation of a new prisoner? Do they know when one is coming?
Kinda cheered me up... Thank you for that.

yes it's very much like Katydid says...whichever prison he gets sent to or transfered from one to another..they will know before he even gets there.
Google..Whitey Bulger...he crossed the mafia and was sent to prison...he was transfered to another prison..and put in sequestered/protective custody. 2 days later someone got into his cell and brutally..and I mean brutally killed him.I don't know what kind of lock up BC is in right now...but rest assured if he's even walked by other inmates, they will be letting him know what's coming for him..
Is a very old saying...there's nowhere to hide in prison..
It's just a coin toss whether he commits suicide or gets got!!
 
My greatest hope is that YY's remains are found and her loving family can take her back home. It may not be this year but I hope that it happens eventually (remember the car that was accidentially driven into the strip mine lake at Kickapoo SP that took 10 years for LE to find).

I'm just throwing out ideas. Yes, it seems he was lazy, depressed, and lacked motivation to go to great effort or distance to put YY's body "where it would never be found". But BC was no criminal mastermind, as evidence has shown, and he was no Ted Bundy.

I wish I could help search for her but I now live 1000 miles away and go back just to visit my parents.

As the recent Woodland Park, CO murder has shown there are many ways to get rid of a body.

So just trying to think outside the box when I wonder what happened to the half tank of gas that was used that weekend that "shocked" Michelle since BC rarely left the apartment and didn't travel far outside town as she told investigators early on in the investigation.

From 12/18/2018 Champaign News- Gazette article:
"Before Michelle Christensen left for the weekend, she had filled up their black Saturn Astra with a full tank of gas, agent Katherine Tenaglia said at a pretrial hearing at the federal courthouse in Urbana.

So Michelle Christensen was "shocked" when she returned to find a half-tank had already been used, given that her husband usually doesn't leave the apartment or travel that far outside of Champaign, Tenaglia said while recalling a conversation with Michelle Christensen."

So I was kind of wondering, like Michelle wondered, why did he use so much gas over the weekend when that was shockingly out of character for him??

My understanding is she made these statements early in the investigation long before she decided to testify for the defense.

BC, do the right thing, man up, and give YY's family what they desperately want and deserve before you are murdered in prison or put to death.
We know he picked her up.
We know he killed her
We do not know what time he brought her back to his apartment.
He may have taken her for a long ride first.

He may have siphoned the petrol from the car and used it to dispose of her or her belongings.
Without a corresponding milage count and in the absence of GPS tracking, there is no way to know without a witness or evidence.
Question- how much petrol or gas is contained in a full tank in that make and model?
2008 Opel Astra 4 door hatchback
 
Anyway, this case is so depressing think I may extract myself from discussions temporarily until either the trial portion is over or the location(s) of remains are divulged (I still expect it will come out before trial is over).

I feel for ya... I go thru that as well. Spend half a day wishing I coulda got at BC before he ever even met YY!! Then I get incredibly sad thinking of YY's mother. With all the murders that seem to happen daily...I'm not sure why this one has affected me so..Is it because it was close to home? Or just the pure evil brutality of it??
 
We know he picked her up.
We know he killed her
We do not know what time he brought her back to his apartment.
He may have taken her for a long ride first.

He may have siphoned the petrol from the car and used it to dispose of her or her belongings.
Without a corresponding milage count and in the absence of GPS tracking, there is no way to know without a witness or evidence.
Question- how much petrol or gas is contained in a full tank in that make and model?
2008 Opel Astra 4 door hatchback

12 US gallons is my understanding. So half a tank more or less at 30mpg average gas mileage rate for that model would be 240 miles. I just used 200 miles as a round number.
 
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