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

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OK, I'm about to make my ignorance public here..Did the police find any of YY's blood or not?? And now I'll go even further....since the defenses' first words were...BC did it...( yeah I know we do have to go ahead and have the trial )..but..is there any way he could be found anything but guilty??

Yes. Under the carpet, on the tack strip and baseboard, and I believe all the spots on the mattresses were confirmed to be blood, and all tested positive for her DNA. Every exhibit they have shown that has had a swab taken from it has tested positive for her DNA.

The bat did not test positive for blood, but it did have her DNA. That result is completely understandable because of the nature of the wound it was used to inflict, and the cleaning. In addition to blood, it probably had a lot of soft tissue residue sticking to it, and maybe small spicules of bone. He cleaned it and got rid of the blood well enough, but there was probably soft tissue still smeared on it that wasn't completely cleaned off and he didn't realize it. That's probably the source of the DNA.

As to your last question; yes, if the jury is as dumb as a box of rocks...........

Edit: should also add, that it is not surprising that no DNA was recovered from the bathroom. Bathrooms are a lot easier to clean all the evidence away if you are sufficiently thorough, and you can use much harsher cleaning agents in the bathroom than you can on your carpet and mattress.
 
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Why hasn't anyone mentioned poor Ying Ying's missing body in the trial???? Since they,opened with "he killed her," the least they could do is let the family know where he hid her remains. Is that asking too much?

My suspicion is that this will be the bombshell at the end of the trial. I think he will get up on the stand and tell them where he put her. Then they will use it as a mitigating factor for why he shouldn't get the death penalty.


OK, I'm about to make my ignorance public here..Did the police find any of YY's blood or not?? And now I'll go even further....since the defenses' first words were...BC did it...( yeah I know we do have to go ahead and have the trial )..but..is there any way he could be found anything but guilty??

Yes, he could be found not guilty. If they believe it was an accident and she went with him willingly... they can't convict him of kidnapping and murder. So absolutely there is ways he can be acquitted.

It is horrific to consider that though.
 
Wednesday, June 19th:
*Trial continues (Day 6) (@ 1:30pm 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 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 sutdent 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 and 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).
 
My suspicion is that this will be the bombshell at the end of the trial. I think he will get up on the stand and tell them where he put her. Then they will use it as a mitigating factor for why he shouldn't get the death penalty.




Yes, he could be found not guilty. If they believe it was an accident and she went with him willingly... they can't convict him of kidnapping and murder. So absolutely there is ways he can be acquitted.

It is horrific to consider that though.
I agree .
He could also claim his defense did not have his permission to plead guilty to causing her death.
I imagine the location of her remains has been discussed in previous plea bargain discussions.
Frankenstein could walk .
It is a possibility.
We have never been told that her remains had been destroyed.
His comments 'she will never be found' sound creepily like Parker-Ray's confidence and his victims never were found.
His confidence on the june 15 interview was astonishing.
6 days later.
His cleaning of the scene was remarkably good, too good for an amateur.
His DNA was sent to various databases for cross-referencing against other murders. These results are not yet back.
THEY WERE ONLY SENT IN MARCH!
Yet the FBI have been aware of the tape since June '17.
I've been searching for legal critical analysis of this investigation for months, I did not find anything, oftentimes these cases are discussed among academic lawyers.
Today, FBI forensics guy will testify about the findings in his apartment.
I hope he does somewhat better than the prisoner they 'interviewed' yesterday, they basically thrashed him and his evidence. Jury Gets Physical Evidence In Christensen Trial
I wonder whether that is the same witness they got permission to interview?
TB will testify today.
It is likely she will meet the same fate, having gained permission to access and misuse her HIPPA records.

YingYing is being disrespected, yet again by these legal tactics, ambitious lawyers and half-baked searches. delays in executing search warrants, allowing building maintenance in to clean evidence prior to searches... he had way too much time to get rid of evidence and he did.
It's a bitter journey of too little, too late, the whole way through.
So far, in the evidence presented, there is nothing to act as an incentive for him to 'fess-up.
He is probably gloating still
'I seem to be very good at this' in relation to FBI not finding her remains, just like Bundy, and Leroy.
LE should have pulled his apartment apart as soon as they recognised his car.
They left it too late.
 
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I don't think he will walk. His team has admitted he abducted and killed her and forensics have established what happened in the apartment. It is only about the death penalty IMO.

If he gives info about the location of her remains and verifiable details of other crimes, maybe he can get LWOP. I am sure his team and him are fully aware of this. Bottom line is he's had it and he knows it and I'm being polite here.
His team know it too. AJMO

ETA- just one more thought - why hasn't he been charged with impersonating LE and attempted kidnapping of the other woman who reported it to the police and identified him?
 
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Kitty I would not worry one bit about BC walking. We have HIS Saturn astra (a very rare car) on camera, and we know it’s his by the chip in the hubcap, and sunroof. BC admits to picking up an Asian woman on that day. The FBI have the weapon he used to kill Zhang in their possession with DNA, blood under the carpet, mattress. A taped confession, matching with what the FBI suspected.


On fetlife describing how he would use a duffel bag to fantasy kidnap someone. Later backs this up by purchasing one, that’s never been found. Admitted guilt by his attorneys with opening statement, cadaver scent in the bathroom.
 
https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 36A.pdf Reading this paper BC downloaded

(i'm pretty sure he killed before- )

Yeah, I think he either 1) killed before, or, 2) IF he didn’t, then his blather on audiotape to TEB is partly false and inaccurate… he’s still guilty as sin of course, but some of his claims on tape (about what happened in the apt.) may be little more than bluster and fantasy.
I do take him seriously though when he says (confidently) she will never be found. Am surprised there’s been no mention of what incinerators are right on campus (especially any that the Physics Dept. might have access to, or where physics waste might be disposed of. (Though there are many other “never-be-found” possibilities).
 
this home had no soul, no beauty https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-45.pdf
https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-44.pdf
https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-43.pdf
bathroom from hell https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-42.pdf

luminol https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-39.pdf
luminol again, I see now what they meant by the scrubbing https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-37.pdf
https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-36.pdf
Quite extensive though impossible to differentiate from blood more than I had read from scrappy reports https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-35.pdf
https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-43.pdf ugly room sans large square carpet
bathroom again https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-42.pdf
?footprint?? https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-27.pdf
bondage gear https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-5.pdf
more bondage gear https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-4.pdf
scrubbing luminol https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 33-2.pdf


vanity https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 31-37.pdf suggesting body fluids escaped under it post mortem and that is why dog got scent
https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt%20Ex%2031-28.
https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 31-27.pdf
desk https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 31-10.pdf
Bathroom from hell again https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 31-7.pdf
Knife collection, adequate f or a decapitation and more https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 31-6.pdf
interior of passenger side of his car https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 14-4.pdf

This is not entire list, just snapshot for quick referencing.

Here is the reference list to be read with exhibits list Prosecution Exhibit List, Brendt Christensen | Business
 
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https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcd/files/Govt Ex 36A.pdf Reading this paper BC downloaded

(i'm pretty sure he killed before- )


TY for posting this. I started reading and couldn't face it all, so went straight to the conclusions which are very interesting. Page 46 onwards were quite descriptive of BC's character and life I felt. The comments about childhood I couldn't say if they were correct in BC's case but I wasn't surprised at what was stated in there.
 
What is the white think in the box to left of bed please?
Ps I watched FBI interview with university detective and BC. They deserve gold medals for not leaping across the table and attacking him.

They're professionals at this. Remember, at that point, they don't know that she is dead. They don't know what happened, and there still could be perfectly reasonable explanations for what happened that resulted in her going missing that don't involve BC killing her. Hence, them asking him if they went somewhere and messed around consensually. It still is possible that he lied to the initial agents because he *did* just let her out, (in a place other than what he describes) and he knows it looks bad for him because she is missing, so he just wants to lie, hope they can't confirm it was his car, and hope they leave him alone.

As the questioning goes on, it becomes clear he's hiding things from them, he doesn't want to tell them, and keeps lying to them. That's a big red flag that he did do something really bad, and that it wasn't an accident, and he *can't* tell them. Still, they have to stay professional. They fly off the handle and start mistreating him, and that leads to legal problems for convicting him down the line
 
Christensen's lawyers focus on countering testimony of female student
So the next day, prosecutors had University of Illinois police Detective Tom Geis retrace those steps, beginning about the same time at 7:50 a.m.

Prosecution thrashes witnesses, It's strange to be moving between a victim friendly site to reports that attempt to show the perpetrator in a good light and thrashes good people, like police doing their jobs.
 
It's a dump. What makes it look worse is that they leave their clothes and crap all over the place. It's messy as hell.
It's not the messiness that bothers me.
It's the lack of soul.. the place seemes to be themed like a goth joint without goths... They took that lease out in January '13... a lotta time, no love at all.
Almost deliberately dank, as if that's the way they like it...
 
I don't think he will walk. His team has admitted he abducted and killed her and forensics have established what happened in the apartment. It is only about the death penalty IMO.

If he gives info about the location of her remains and verifiable details of other crimes, maybe he can get LWOP. I am sure his team and him are fully aware of this. Bottom line is he's had it and he knows it and I'm being polite here.
His team know it too. AJMO

ETA- just one more thought - why hasn't he been charged with impersonating LE and attempted kidnapping of the other woman who reported it to the police and identified him?
I should have been clearer, When I suggest Frakenstein may walk, I don't believe he will walk from murder charge but there is a possibility it could be reduced to manslaughter, it all really depends upon what defense will present tomorrow.
They're bust thrashing all prosecution witnesses and evidence at mo and I think they are bringing doubt with their objections...this for example-
It's not clear if the prosecution was referring to the handprint above Christensen's bed, but during cross-examination, Maguire agreed with Pollock that the alternative light source was probably not picking up blood.
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2019-06-19/christensens-lawyers-focus-countering-
testimony-female-student.html

There's an awful lot hanging on what exactly the prosecution forensics guy will prove today.
Lots of luminol , so far, much of it produced by cleaning materials though.

I had just a very quick look at that link provided by @gard yesterday.. did not read the full case...it's long... looks complex... hard to start reading a 10 yr old case from scratch.. may well be worth a look though.
 
TY for posting this. I started reading and couldn't face it all, so went straight to the conclusions which are very interesting. Page 46 onwards were quite descriptive of BC's character and life I felt. The comments about childhood I couldn't say if they were correct in BC's case but I wasn't surprised at what was stated in there.
What was interesting was that he downloded it on this date
Paper titled “A Critical Analysis of Research Related to theCriminal Mind of Serial Killers,” downloaded on Exhibit 15B-C,on February 6, 2017
I got a feeling he was surveying handiwork from the past..
4 months before he took YY...
 
Exhibit 25 and 25 TR are missing from exhibitions list, which is leaving a big gaping hole.
25 is cd of his 'confession' to TB
25Tr is the transcript of what he said he did at various locations in his apartment.
I'm hoping it's not being withheld due to it's graphic nature?
 
One further note....thanks so much to Kitty and DM and many of you for the updates and links..I actually considered going to the Urbana viewing area ( bout 10 miles for me ).. but I'm afraid I might make a scene..( I routinely scream at the TV too ) And also, seeing YY's mom in person would crush my heart.

ikr - During the CA trial when a lady in the audience had an uncontrollable outburst, the judge held her in contempt of court and gave her an overnight stay in the county jail.

At the time I felt bad for her and thought to myself how I would never do such a thing except for the "uncontrollable" part. The more I thought about it the more I think it is best I never go to an emotional trial. I would not want to gamble on what may or may not happen with me in the audience. :)

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