Deceased/Not Found IL - Yingying Zhang, 26, Urbana, 9 June 2017 #10 *Still Missing*

[kittythehare]

short clip of YY's family arriving in court today
Daniel Williams on Twitter

 

[Ghoulina25]

Those poor people. I want to hug every single one of them. And I'm not a hugger.

 

[kittythehare]

1 sealed document and
1 motion to strike in today, both unopen currently
Docket for United States v. Christensen, 2:17-cr-20037 - CourtListener.com

 

[tresir2012]

Has any evidence of inherited mental problems been actually given in evidence?
How are they now able to bring this up with no expert evidence?
Will prosecution be challenging this at all?

 

[altojack]

Those poor people. I want to hug every single one of them. And I'm not a hugger.

Heart breaking isn't it. Mum will never be the same again.

 

[altojack]

1 sealed document and
1 motion to strike in today, both unopen currently
Docket for United States v. Christensen, 2:17-cr-20037 - CourtListener.com

Here we go!

 

[altojack]

Has any evidence of inherited mental problems been actually given in evidence?
How are they now able to bring this up with no expert evidence?
Will prosecution be challenging this at all?

I thought BC withdrew his MH claims from proceedings and judge said it wasn't to be brought into the frame. I could be wrong so I'll say it's JMO

Edit: maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong please, thank you.

 

[tresir2012]

Has anyone looked at the 78 page 451 motion?

Just wondered what you think.

It looks like defence are proposing life if just one juror does not agree with the death penalty. Has this been discussed and I missed it?

 

[Webthrush]

Has anyone looked at the 78 page 451 motion?

Just wondered what you think.

It looks like defence are proposing life if just one juror does not agree with the death penalty. Has this been discussed and I missed it?

yes, decision must be unanimous for BC to get DP; otherwise he gets life without parole (not a proposition, just the law).

 

[dm92]

I thought BC withdrew his MH claims from proceedings and judge said it wasn't to be brought into the frame. I could be wrong so I'll say it's JMO

Edit: maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong please, thank you.

They are allowed to bring up *past* issues of mental health, but Shadid warned them about connecting any of these issues to the events of June 9, 2017.

 

[kittythehare]

1. But before that, Yingying Zhang's finace Xiaolin Hou wrapped up his testimony, telling jurors that losing Zhang "totally changed the track of my life." "(It) took away the most important person in my 30 years of life," he said.
   
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2. 
   Matt Masterson‏ @ByMattMasterson 7m7 minutes ago
   Court is in recess for lunch. The last couple hours of testimony has consisted of the government's main trial evidence being re-presented to jurors
   

But then, Hou said "What that criminal did ... was too painful for a young girl." This led to an immediate objection by the defense and a call for a mistrial, citing improper victim impact testimony

U.S. District Court Judge James Shadid swiftly denied that request, but he did strike that statement from Hou and told jurors they may not consider any of the witnesses' opinions on Christensen, his crime or his appropriate punishment

After the lunch break, we'll hear testimony from Yingying Zhang's father and brother, and possibly video testimony from her mother.

 

[kittythehare]

Defense makes repeated calls for a mistrial because Hou starts to detail the pain caused by the horrible things BC allegedly did to Zhang. Judge agrees to have jury instructions limiting their consideration of victim family testimony of BC's characterization or conduct @WCIA3
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Aaron Eades
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#YingyingZhang's boyfriend Xiaolin Hou was on the stand. Testifies that Zhang's death totally changed the course or his life @WCIA3
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Aaron Eades
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It's day 2 of the sentencing phase of BC's trial. I have a few notes, but a lot of it was repeat of what we heard during the first phase-- so I'll be brief @WCIA3

1. (The point of that was, the defense is trying to prove that nobody knows the gory details of what actually happened) @WCIA3
   
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   Aaron Eades‏Verified account @WCIA3Eades 8m8 minutes ago
   Sketch of Hou by Joe McGuire. Video is played of AUSA Miller interviewing one of Zhang's former roommates. She says Yingying was always concerned about her safety and protection-- she even bought her an alarm device. Says YZ wouldn't have gotte into a stranger's car @WCIA3
   
   
   

 

[kittythehare]

1. Expecting to hear from Zhang's father and brother this afternoob. Gov't could rest their case today if they get through everything @WCIA3
   
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   Aaron Eades‏Verified account @WCIA3Eades 4m4 minutes ago
   AUSA Freres calls FBI agent Anthony Manganaro. Video clips shown of BC's interview where he lies to FBI. Receipts for Drano, duffel bag purchase, FetLife & text messages, & Astra's route shown. Prosecutors trying to establish premeditation as aggravating factor @WCIA3
   
   
   

 

[kittythehare]

"I will never give up hope to find her... and if we don't find her, then everything seems hopeless." - Yingying's fiancé

1. After Judge denied mistrial request, Christensen’s lawyer said “to preserve the record for appeal, the motion for mistrial persists.” (4/4)
   
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   Jacqueline Francis‏Verified account @FrancisonFoxIL 6m6 minutes ago
   Although mistrial request was denied, the judge agreed to strike Hou’s statement from the record, explaining that the victim’s family’s opinions about Brendt Christensen or the nature the crime are NOT to be considered by the jury. (3/4)
   
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3. 
   Jacqueline Francis‏Verified account @FrancisonFoxIL 7m7 minutes ago
   Hou: “What that criminal did… is too painful for a young girl…” Defense objected on grounds of improper victim impact evidence. (2/4)
   

 

[kittythehare]

Judge denies mistrial request in Christensen trial

 

[kittythehare]

1. e said he hoped to finish his PhD and get his post doc in the US, and then return to China with her, and that they planned to get married in Oct. 2017 (3/30)
   
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   Ben Zigterman‏ @bzigterman 1m1 minute ago
   He said, "she loved being here" in the U.S. and wanted to do better research, make a contribution and learn a different culture. (2/30)
   
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3. 
   Ben Zigterman‏ @bzigterman 1m1 minute ago
   Continued to hear from Ms. Zhang's boyfriend this morning. He said, "she was a good ping pong player, not a good badminton player, but she enjoyed it." (1/30)
   

 

[kittythehare]

sorry, its the way they're coming in, not in sequence

1. he jury also watched a video interview with another college friend of Ms. Zhang, Shuang Wu. (12/30)
   
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2. 
   Ben Zigterman‏ @bzigterman 4m4 minutes ago
   "I don't think it rises to the level of mistrial," Judge Shadid said. The comment "didn't catch anyone by surprise." (11/30)
   
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   Ben Zigterman‏ @bzigterman 4m4 minutes ago
   The defense called for a mistrial, which was denied, and instead, the last part of the boyfriend's comment was stricken and the jury was instructed not to consider it. (10/30)
   
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4. 
   Ben Zigterman‏ @bzigterman 4m4 minutes ago
   At this point, the defense objected, and the jury was excused, as the victim's family is not allowed to opine on the defendant, his crime or his punishment. (9/30)
   

 

[kittythehare]

1. He said Ms. Zhang's death has been especially hard on her parents. "Yingying was their everything" and hope for the future. "Now they lose their future." "They cannot eat, they cannot sleep." (4/30)
   
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   Ben Zigterman‏ @bzigterman 4m4 minutes ago
   He said her mom in particular has cried almost every day and that her house has gotten worse and worse. He said he is "so worried about them." (5/30)
   
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   Ben Zigterman‏ @bzigterman 4m4 minutes ago
   Said he tried to help them move on, "but how, without finding her?" Their "only desire is to find her…and bring her back home." (6/30)
   
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   Ben Zigterman‏ @bzigterman 4m4 minutes ago
   "They feel helpless," he said. "They blame themselves." And, "I will never give up hope to find her." (7/30)
   

 

[kittythehare]

1. The prosecution seemed to be trying to establish that Christensen took steps to obstruct the investigation, showing clips of him lying to investigators and receipts of his Drano purchases. (21/30)
   
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2. 
   Ben Zigterman‏ @bzigterman 7m7 minutes ago
   Later in the morning, lead FBI agent on the case Anthony Manganaro testified, repeating much of what was presented in the guilt phase. (20/30)
   
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3. 
   Ben Zigterman‏ @bzigterman 7m7 minutes ago
   "Even to this day, we haven't accepted this fact and recovered from this grief," she said. (19/30)
   
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4. 
   Ben Zigterman‏ @bzigterman 7m7 minutes ago
   So Wu said she was surprised when Ms. Zhang went missing that she would get into a stranger's car. "I was in great shock," she said, who said Ms. Zhang had an awareness of her self-protection. (18/30)
   

 

[kittythehare]

1. Wu said Ms. Zhang was devoted to her family, and that her mom didn't want her to study abroad, but instead wanted her to stay in China and work. (13/30)
   
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2. 
   Ben Zigterman‏ @bzigterman 9m9 minutes ago
   the jury also watched a video interview with another college friend of Ms. Zhang, Shuang Wu. (12/30)
   
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3. 
   Ben Zigterman‏ @bzigterman 9m9 minutes ago
   "I don't think it rises to the level of mistrial," Judge Shadid said. The comment "didn't catch anyone by surprise." (11/30)