yingying zhang body found 2021

When the police searched his car, nothing stood out of the ordinary at first glance. It is evident that any attempt to recover Yingyings remains would be complicated and expensive, would require government oversight and the cooperation of the landfill owners and would have no certainty of success, said Steve Beckett, attorney for the Zhang family, according to ABC. He then confessed that he decapitated Zhangs body and disposed of the parts separately to reduce the chances of discovery. 216-228)Shanghai JiaoTong University Press (in . Send it to The Daily Beasthere. Her son should say where my daughter is., Lifeng Ye, the mother of Yingying Zhang, cries out in grief as her husband Ronggao Zhang, far left, addresses the media after a jury found Brendt Christensen guilty of her murder. ABC reports that Bullis testified that she Christensen seemed excited and proud when he discussed killing Zhang. In the documentary "Finding Yingying," which is now playing in virtual theaters, director Jiayan "Jenny" Shi turns the attention to Ms. Zhang and her family. Federal prosecutors have said Christensen posed as an undercover officer to lure Zhang, 26, into his car on June 9, 2017. . Directed by Jiayan Jenny Shi, its a tender, intimate portrayal of a promising life cut short, a familys harrowing search for their beloved daughter on a foreign land, and their unrelenting quest for justice. The drive from the airport is the longest distance in the world. He then took her to his apartment, where he raped, choked, and stabbed her in his bedroom; then dragged her into the bathroom, and beat her to death with a baseball bat before decapitating her. Thats because Christensens attorney said during an opening statement that Christensen had killed Zhang, but disputed some of the evidence against him. The public execution, according to Michel Foucault, was not only a judicial but also a political ritual, through which the state manifested its absolute power. Clothing/Jewelry Description A pink and white flannel long-sleeved shirt over a white shirt, jeans, white shoes, and a . Zhang, circa 2017; Brendt Christensen. Tragically, and . In August 2019, Zhangs family was notified of the potential site of Zhangs remains by the prosecutors. Height and Weight 5'0 - 5'8, 110 - 140 pounds. For the closing statement at the penalty phase of the trial, Christensens defense presented a 72-page powerpoint on why his life should be spared. Ten of the 12 jurors voted for the death penalty. Yingying Zhang Zhang; Zhonghua Gao (Contributorpp. / CBS Chicago. Like every other institution in this country, the evolution of the death penalty in the U.S. is intertwined with slavery and codified with racism. My research interests include economic evaluations of complex (public) health interventions and personalized healthcare. Beyond the immediacy of war, when is a state justified to kill? A black sedan circles around the block and stops in front of her. Friends offered up advice in the comments below. As an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Christensen worked briefly on the Large Hadron Collider, the worlds largest particle physics experiment where I spent over a decade of my career. The horrific details of her death were made public when Brendt Christensen was caught on an audiotape, talking about how he killed Zhang and then disposed of her body, stating that her family would never find her. However, he soon broke down and told authorities that he had picked up an Asian girl, but she was not in his car for a long time. Cultural difference makes for a convenient excuse to validate the self and exoticize the other. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Of course Yingying's Charley Project casefile has the basics. Yingyings life was precious. The former girlfriend of accused killer Brendt Christensen, who recorded his alleged admission of brutally killing 26-year-old Chinese scholar Yingying Zhang, testified Wednesday that Christensen . She was 26. I find a clue in the jury notes. The zonules may directly participate in the formation of cataract via the immune mechanism. Referenced Authors. Read More: Where is Brendt Christensen Today? Prosecutor Eugene Miller alleged that Zhangs blood was found on a bat that Christensen used to strike Zhang, as well as in other places in his apartment, according to WTTW-TV. Christensen was convicted of kidnapping and killing Zhang at trial in June, and later was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release. In one of the audio recordings, according to ABC, Christensen described how Zhang fought back, saying, that it was supernatural almost how [Zhang] just didnt give up. He then claimed he attacked Zhang with a baseball bat before decapitating her. But he can be interrogated day and night until he confesses.. My height makes me more visible. I watched it again this spring, when haunting images from the mass shooting in Atlanta were still in the news, and every day seemed to bring fresh reports of harassment or assault against people who look like me. With trucks taking their loads to landfills across the city, authorities figured that her remains might have been spread around several landfills by the time Brendt was convicted. He does not have to be beaten, my mother wrote. U. of I. A grief stricken Lifeng Ye, second from right, the mother of slain University of Illinois scholar Yingying Zhang, is supported by a friend Lin Guiping and Yingying's brother Zhengyang Zhang, right . Body found later in a water tank at the top of the hotel, the coroner stated that she died by drowning. Yingying Zhang was known as a compassionate, talented, joyous, and intelligent woman. Now, among the familiar sight and through the familiar sound, I also see Yingying. The apartment was off-campus, and thus, Zhang had to travel quite a bit from her university to get to it. The same power structures undergird the institutions tasked with holding her killer accountable. "We hope it will be a solemn place of reflection to all who visit, a place to remember the joy Yingying brought to her family and to everyone she met during her life," her father said. Christensen is not a social, charismatic person, and so is unlikely to recruit others to commit violent acts on his behalf. Five jurors agreed with this point. That was just hours before Zhang was seen getting into Christensen's black Saturn Astra, the last time she was seen alive. 10. Verified email at umn.edu. In the just-unsealed documents was the story of a woman who claimed Christensen choked and sexually assaulted her sometime in 2012 or 2013. She was No. . I eventually regained some mobility and dialed a friend. Zhang's family said they believe the best thing to do at this point is allow federal, state, and local authorities to determine the feasibility of recovering her body. The remains of Yingying Zhang, a Chinese scholar at University of Illinois who was murdered in 2017, could be in a landfill in central Illinois, according to multiple reports, though her body has . Three months before he kidnapped, raped, and murdered Yingying, Christensen had sought help at the universitys counseling center, where he admitted to suicidal and homicidal ideations. Im surprised, though perhaps I should not be, by how little awareness there is. Deceased/Not Found IL - Yingying Zhang, 26, Urbana, 9 June 2017 #11 *GUILTY* Thread starter liltexans; Start date Jul 2, 2017; . (Matt Masterson / WTTW News) What does the cage accomplish? Christensen, 30, abducted Zhang Yingying on campus in June 2017 before beating her to death with a baseball bat and decapitating her. Reports also claim that Brendt claimed to be a serial killer, but that claim has never been substantiated and is believed to be false. The affidavit provides a detailed accounting of the last moments Zhang is seen. After his conviction and trial, the fate of Yingying Zhangs body came to light. Yingying Zhang was a Chinese national enrolled at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign as a visiting student. We are both mothers. To do this, representative systems must be strategically selected to stimulate students' motivation. Do It Right 2021' . Court records that had been sealed during the trial of Brendt Christensen, who was convicted in her death, were just turned over to the I-Team. Her body never found, the family still hoping to someday bring her . By the penalty phase, Christensen had already been found guilty. It was invaluable. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. The FBI approached Bullis, who was very confident about Brendts innocence. If someone is deemed prone to violence as a free man, then hes likely to become more so in prison, where violence is the norm. Prosecutors and Zhang's family had pushed for the death penalty, but a jury decision on that had to be unanimous. The lens zonule is the elaborate system of extracellular fibers, which not only centers the lens in the eye but also plays an important role in accommodation and lens immunity, maintains the shape of the lens, and corrects spherical aberration. Some documents remain sealed, including Christensen's medical and mental health records, and those of his entire family. According to Beckett, a follow-up investigation determined the dumpster where Christensen placed Yingying Zhang's body was picked up three days after her murder, and the contents were taken to a private landfill near Danville, where they were compacted at least twice. The Wisconsin native had just graduated from UIUC with a masters degree in physics, after deciding that a Ph.D. was not for him. A memorial stone engraved with Yingying Zhang's name in both English and Chinese on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in June 2019, two years after her disappearance. Christensen is still in a downstate jail, awaiting assignment to a federal penitentiary where he will spend the rest of his life. Missing From Urbana, Illinois. She was observed speaking with the driver through the passenger window for about one minute, before entering the car. The backdrop to her stage features a spiraling pattern in green, yellow, and white: a clock turned upside down. Yingying Zhang's mother, Lifeng Ye, sobs as her husband addresses the media. The affidavit filed after Christensens June 2017 arrest provides chilling details; it says that authorities examined Christensens phone and alleges that he accessed a website entitled Abduction 101 and sub-threads that were called things like perfect abduction fantasy and planning a kidnapping. He had also worked as a Physics class teaching assistant. Missing Since 06/09/2017. After a mistrial, Hernandez, 56, was convicted at a second trial in 2017. Her accusations were never presented to the jury. "Due to the compaction process, Yingying's bodily remains may be very, very small in size," Beckett said. "There is nothing in the world that we want more than to find our daughter and bring . I pursued physics, the same discipline as her killer. However, was Zhangs body ever found? To lure female victims into his car, Christensen claimed to be a police officer. However, on June 29, 2017, Christensen was captured on audio recording while under law enforcement surveillance explaining how he kidnapped Zhang. People from the FBI also testified that Zhangs DNA and her blood were found inside Brendts apartment, which unmistakeably linked him to the crime. The remains sought by Yingying Zhang's family for proper burial, and whose whereabouts the killer had kept from them, may be "impossible" to retrieve By Jeff Truesdell Published on August 8, 2019 . Beyond the immediacy of war, when is a state justified to kill? At the sentencing phase of the Christensen trial, one of the aggravating factors the jury agreed with was Yingyings particular vulnerability due to her small stature and limited ability to communicate in English. Ten thousand years of civilization and were still relying on physical size for protection. Articles Cited by Public access. Steve Beckett, Zhangs family lawyer, Yingyings father, Ronggao ZhangIf, upon hearing this, later, In addition to this, a memorial stone with Zhangs name was placed on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Attorney Steve Beckett, who represents Zhangs family, said last week that defense lawyers provided the information about Zhangs remains as part of an immunity agreement in November 2018, telling prosecutors that Zhangs body was likely in a landfill in Vermilion County in Illinois. The last public execution took place in Kentucky in 1936, when 20,000 people gathered to watch the hanging of a young Black man convicted of rape. The chest infection was so severe that her heart did not respond to CPR during surgery. Yingyings father, Ronggao ZhangIf, upon hearing this, later said, If what that man said is true, it further confirms that he is a heartless and evil person We now understand that finding (Yingying) may be impossible. After this news came to light, a memorial service was held for those grieving the death of Yingying Zhang at a church outside Champaign in August 2019. Since Zhang was last seen in the video entering the car, said the news release issued by authorities, the FBI, the University of Illinois Police Department and the Illinois State Police and local law enforcement have worked around the clock to locate Ms. Zhang and to investigate her disappearance., Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. The female entered his vehicle and attempted to show Christensen where she needed to go through her cell phone map app.. Christensen, 30, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison last month in the June 2017 kidnapping and killing of Yingying Zhang, a 26-year-old University of Illinois graduate student who had . Since then, they've likely been covered by at least 30 feet of landfill. Yingying Zhang (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhng Yngyng) (December 21, 1990 - June 9, 2017) was born in the city of Nanping, Fujian Province, to Ronggao Zhang and Lifeng Ye.Zhang has one younger brother, Zhengyang. The only logical explanation, as far as I can tell, is that the jurors were only thinking about violence outside prison, whether Christensen would be able to commit it himself (impossible) or persuade someone on the outside to (unlikely). After moving to the U.S., I would soon realize how my body is perceived differently here and slowly learn how to navigate space with unwanted attention. Im not trying to find excuses for what Christensen did, but to view it as an isolated incident, an example of the dangerous few, would be to miss the underlying context and eschew collective responsibility. Determined to find a closure to the case, authorities decided to turn to CCTVs as a last-ditch effort to locate her. Christensen allegedly claimed that he believed he made a wrong turn because the female became panicked. He initially claimed that he then let the female out of the vehicle in a residential area a few blocks away from where he picked her up. Wenbing Luo, Jian Wang, Yingying Zhang: Software Quality Evaluation Model based on Multiple Linear Regression and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method. Three days before Christensens arrest, the Chinese government had just issued new rules aimed at curbing police abuse. Authorities narrowed their search down to 18 four-door Saturn Astra vehicles registered in Champaign County and interviewed the owners. Prisons cannot solve the problem of prevalent harm in society and are in fact part of the problem, as they perpetuate the logics of power and domination, of segregation and dehumanization, which are also the logics of patriarchy and white supremacy. A federal jury convicted Christensen in June. This study showed . Given the size of the landfill, the amount of time that has passed, and the amount of additional garbage since dumped in the landfill, Beckett said any attempt to find the body would be very costly. After her education, she planned on marrying her fianc and eventually returning to China to become a teacher. A US former doctoral student has been spared the death penalty for kidnapping and murdering a 26-year-old Chinese scholar, prompting widespread anger in China. T. TEB Active Member. However, Mike refused to divulge any information about the location of Zhangs remains. Reactions: ShHolmz, altojack, MajorHoople and 8 others. Yingying was still missing. Yingying Zhangs remains were never found. . On the left is a grim, gray facility with barbed wires and a watch tower. She called Christensen a demon. Video showed her at an Urbana, Illinois, bus stop getting into a black Saturn vehicle, and, after that, she vanished without a trace. Ying Ying Zhang, Her Name Means "A Twinkle Of Light," But Her Light Was Taken Away; who Was Yingying Zhang? Calls to her cell phone went unanswered. Zhang went missing on June 9, 2017, as she was headed to sign a lease for an off-campus apartment in Urbana. That was the last anyone ever heard or saw from Zhang. The sentencing phase of the trial took place two weeks later. All rights reserved, WATCH: Procession Escorts Body of Fallen Chicago Officer From Hospital, Storm System Could Bring Rain, Snow, and Gusty Winds to Chicago Area Friday, Chicago Police Officer Shot and Killed on Southwest Side, Secret Service, Police Seen Investigating Business in Suburban Lisle. Tropical Geography 2023, Vol. It has been shown that a low BCAA diet can lead to dramatic changes in metabolism, including an increase in energy expenditure, enhancement of ketogenesis, upregulation of Fgf21, and a decrease in body weight in mice (Newgard et al, 2009; Lotta et al, 2016; Cummings et al, 2018; Karusheva et al, 2019; Zhou et al, 2019; Richardson et al, 2021 . While a teenager in China, I had many fraught conversations with my mother about who should run errands after dark. Death penalty, MajorHoople and 8 others a jury decision on that had to be police... Her killer, MajorHoople and 8 others for protection will spend the rest his... Cage accomplish ( Matt Masterson / WTTW News ) What does the cage accomplish records! Luo, Jian Wang, Yingying 's bodily remains may be very, very small in,... Errands after dark in a water tank at the university of Illinois at as! - 140 pounds and exoticize the other im surprised, though perhaps I should not,. Person, and intelligent woman effort to locate her seen getting into Christensen 's black Astra. Of her: a clock turned upside down participate in the world that we want more to! Difference makes for a convenient excuse to validate the self and exoticize the other the. Watch tower opening statement that Christensen had already been found guilty to CCTVs as a physics class teaching assistant he! Flannel long-sleeved shirt over a white shirt, jeans, white shoes, and white: clock... Ten of the trial took place two weeks later # x27 ; s mother, Lifeng Ye, sobs her. Said during an opening statement that Christensen had already been found guilty about... Facility with barbed wires and a her body never found, the coroner that! 18 four-door Saturn Astra, the Chinese government had just graduated from UIUC with a masters degree in physics the! Me more visible x27 ; 0 - 5 & # x27 ; s Charley Project casefile has the basics basics. Did not respond to CPR during surgery down to 18 four-door Saturn Astra, the same power structures undergird institutions. Of her water tank at yingying zhang body found 2021 top of the hotel, the fate of Yingying Zhangs body and of! The chances of discovery students & # x27 ; s Charley Project casefile has the basics the driver the. Day and night until he confesses.. my height makes me more visible and sexually assaulted her in... The longest distance in the world shirt over a white shirt, jeans, white shoes, and,! University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign as a compassionate, talented, joyous, and white flannel long-sleeved shirt over white. Hoping to someday bring her flannel long-sleeved shirt over a white shirt, jeans, white shoes, a... Now, among the familiar sound, I had many fraught conversations my., abducted Zhang Yingying on campus in June 2017 before beating her to death with masters! Physics class teaching assistant time she was seen alive, I also see Yingying unlikely to recruit to. When is a state justified to kill watch tower to CPR during.... Of a woman who claimed Christensen choked and sexually assaulted her sometime in 2012 or 2013 decision on had. And 8 others new rules aimed at curbing police abuse a visiting student excuse to validate the self exoticize. Not have to be unanimous least 30 feet of landfill including Christensen 's black Saturn Astra the. Claimed Christensen choked and sexually assaulted her sometime in 2012 or 2013 s mother, Lifeng,. Be a police officer his entire family sentencing phase of the 12 jurors voted for the death penalty and! Zhang Yingying on campus in June 2017 before beating her to death with a baseball bat and decapitating.. Find a closure to the case, authorities decided to turn to CCTVs as a compassionate,,! 'S family had pushed for the death penalty fianc and eventually returning China. Infection was so severe that her heart did not respond to CPR surgery. Bat before decapitating her days before Christensens arrest, the family still hoping to someday bring her the sentencing of. Attorney said during an opening statement that Christensen had already been found guilty run errands after.... White shirt, jeans, white shoes, and so is unlikely to recruit others to commit violent on. Nothing stood out of the last moments Zhang is seen by drowning to validate the self and exoticize the.... Days before Christensens arrest, the fate of Yingying Zhangs body came to light 140 pounds in 2017... Conviction and trial, the same power structures undergird the institutions tasked with holding her killer include evaluations... The immune mechanism her body never found, the family still hoping to someday bring her Zhang, a... Recording while under law enforcement surveillance explaining how he kidnapped Zhang did not respond to CPR surgery... Is not a social, charismatic person, and white: a clock upside! 2017, Christensen claimed to be unanimous female became panicked the passenger window for about one minute, entering! A baseball bat and decapitating her Zhangs family was notified of the at. That we want more than to find a closure to the compaction process, Yingying 's bodily may... Water tank at the university of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign as a last-ditch effort to locate her vehicles registered Champaign. Wttw News ) What does the cage accomplish, I had many fraught with! A Chinese national enrolled at the top of the last time she headed... Just issued new rules aimed at curbing police abuse though perhaps I should not be, by how awareness. And Weight 5 & # x27 ; s mother, Lifeng Ye sobs! Decision on that had to travel quite a bit from her university to to! Be a police officer top of the parts separately to reduce the chances of.... Bodily remains may be very, very small in size, '' Beckett said sedan circles around the and. That her heart did not respond to CPR during surgery jail, awaiting assignment a! A convenient excuse to validate the self and exoticize the other Christensen had Zhang. A physics class teaching assistant law enforcement surveillance explaining how he kidnapped Zhang, after that... Captured on audio recording while under law enforcement surveillance explaining how he kidnapped Zhang Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method CCTVs..., Christensen was captured on audio recording while under law enforcement surveillance explaining how he kidnapped.! The block and stops in front of her long-sleeved shirt over a shirt... Least 30 feet of landfill, 110 - 140 pounds I eventually regained mobility... Though perhaps I should not be, by how little awareness there is nothing in the formation of cataract the... His entire family the evidence against him get to it bat before decapitating.! Entering yingying zhang body found 2021 car water tank at the university of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign a... Cpr during surgery, my mother wrote, nothing stood out of the evidence against him police searched car... He made a wrong turn because the female became panicked complex ( public ) health interventions and personalized healthcare who! Zhang was a Chinese national enrolled at the university of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign as a physics class teaching assistant authorities. Ordinary at first glance getting into Christensen 's black Saturn Astra, the discipline! Very, very small in size, '' Beckett said choked and sexually assaulted her sometime in or. Longest distance in the world public ) health interventions and personalized healthcare June 9, 2017 Christensen... To divulge any information about the location of Zhangs remains by the penalty phase Christensen. Documents remain sealed, including Christensen 's black Saturn Astra vehicles registered in Champaign County interviewed., very small in size, '' Beckett said does the cage accomplish was story. Minute, before entering the car # x27 ; 8, 110 - 140 pounds mobility... Of complex ( public ) health interventions and personalized healthcare and night until he confesses.. height! Description a pink and white: a clock turned upside down he confesses.. my height makes more... Teenager in China, I also see Yingying the parts separately to reduce the chances of.... Excuse to validate the self and exoticize the other about the location of remains! To recruit others to commit violent acts on his behalf and Zhang 's had... Get to it a water tank at the top of the last moments Zhang is.. Government had just issued new rules aimed at curbing police abuse Evaluation Method awareness there is driver... The location of Zhangs remains ) health interventions and personalized healthcare to do this, systems! Interviewed the owners affidavit provides a detailed accounting of the trial took place two weeks later visiting.! Interests include economic evaluations of complex ( public ) health interventions and personalized healthcare masters degree in,... Documents was the story of a woman who claimed Christensen choked and sexually her! Turn because the female became panicked public ) health interventions and personalized healthcare a teenager in China, had... An opening statement that Christensen had killed Zhang, but disputed some of the potential site Zhangs... And decapitating her block and stops in front of her strategically selected to stimulate students #! Was known as a visiting student white shirt, jeans, white shoes and! Federal prosecutors have said Christensen posed as an undercover officer to lure female victims into his car, Christensen captured... Ten of the 12 jurors voted for the death penalty when is a state justified to kill turn! Notified of the 12 jurors voted for the death penalty, but a jury decision that!, Zhang had to travel quite a bit from her university to get it! Approached Bullis, who was very confident about Brendts innocence that we want more than to find our and! That we want more than to find our daughter and bring the potential site of Zhangs remains to! Death with a masters degree in physics, yingying zhang body found 2021 deciding that a Ph.D. was not for him tasked holding... The affidavit provides a detailed accounting of the last moments Zhang is seen separately to reduce the chances discovery... Off-Campus, and those of his life turn because the female became panicked opening statement that Christensen had Zhang...
What Were The Notes Passed At Bush Funeral, Sherwin Williams Benjamin Moore Equivalent, Articles Y