Deceased/Not Found IL - Yingying Zhang, 26, Urbana, 9 June 2017 #7 *Arrest*

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Being a layperson as well, that's always what I think when I read the defense filings -I think they are being very thorough and presenting real challenges for the prosecution -but then the prosecution files their responses and they just seem much more solidly crafted, and appear to be, at least from my layperson standpoint, to be much better reasoned and have more legal weight to them. For instance, BC's defense wants to strike the aggravating factor of torture and severe physical abuse to the victim because it allows mutilation of a body after death to be considered as severe physical abuse, then the prosecution responds that it is moot because they intend to present evidence that there was torture and severe physical abuse of YY committed before she died, and oh, by the way, appeals courts and the supreme court have upheld that mutilation of a body can be considered severe physical abuse.

There are a lot of quoted precedents from high profile cases like you said. In the response to the change of venue motion, they quote frequently from Tsarnaev and Skilling (Enron).

Yes- that part about them being confident they can prove she was tortured before her death makes me so sad.
 
It has to be very rough to be a public defender in cases like this. The prosecution probably has a boatload of convincing evidence to show he tortured and killed her, and all the defense can do is grasp at straws, because he won't confess and give up the location of the body.

What is really interesting to me is the difference in the version of events regarding the search of the Astra and the apartment on the night of the 14th-15th (Docket numbers 100 and 147).

This part of 147 is wild... His wife walked out nude, declined to go put any clothes on when offered, and they had to ASK her to go put some clothes on:

"Around the time the agents entered the apartment’s entry area, M.C. walked into the living room as well. She was fully nude at the time. The agents asked her if she wanted to put some clothes on, and she initially declined. The agents then asked her to put a robe on during the time they were present."

I feel bad for his wife, and I really doubt she was involved in any of this, but that is just weird.............

When I read this I immediately felt very sympathetic for the specific defense attorneys because I am sure their client is lying to them and the version they submitted is what their client told them happened.

IMO it is the worst part about being a defense attorney. It is very hard to do your best job if even your client is throwing obstacles at every step. The prosecution has a usually truthful and candid "client" - the LE investigators. They are often at an advantage for that reason alone!
 
Not linking, but we all read it.

I know very, very little about dominance/control relationships. Watching Criminal Minds and SVU may not be valid information.

I may be out in left field, or on some other planet.

Anyone else think that possibly MC remained naked until BC signaled her to comply with the law enforcement request to put on clothing?

The divorce filing took this long while her family waited through some sort of de-programming?

JMHO YMMV
 
Not linking, but we all read it.

I know very, very little about dominance/control relationships. Watching Criminal Minds and SVU may not be valid information.

I may be out in left field, or on some other planet.

Anyone else think that possibly MC remained naked until BC signaled her to comply with the law enforcement request to put on clothing?

The divorce filing took this long while her family waited through some sort of de-programming?

JMHO YMMV

I am also curious about this on many levels.

-I *think* I would immediately distance myself from my husband in this situation. Why a delay of a year and a half??
-I think my repulsion would be additionally fueled by the knowledge that all sorts of these things happened in my home- in my bedroom and my bathroom. That feels like an utter betrayal (an understatement, of course).
-I am (admittedly) a bit of a jealous person by nature, so I imagine I would object to my husband having what seems to be an incredibly close relationship with his ex-girlfriend (close enough that he divulged something to her that resulted in his arrest). Though that contact could’ve just been “rekindled” when the FBI questioned her initially.

I know this is sheer speculation, and I am not suggesting or sleuthing anything here, but how much did they know about his interest in various fetishes? I know we can’t necessarily know the deepest, darkest thoughts and desires of our partners, but were there any warning signs or red flags? (in hindsight)
 
If any of you are interested in more details but don’t have a ton of time, I’d say read this one:

https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ilcd.70076/gov.uscourts.ilcd.70076.144.0.pdf

It’s the Motion to Suppress the secret recording by TB/TEB, the girlfriend/ex-girlfriend. I found it FASCINATING- almost suspenseful!- and now I am left with so many questions!

-It says LE had surveillance for all of their interactions. How did they do that without being noticed? So stealthy!
-What were the listening devices used? Many of the convos were held on her porch; I wonder if something was bugged there.
-What was the relationship between TB and BC that made BC feel comfortable enough to tell her something so damning? He was arrested right after that last conversation.
-Was it total arrogance that led BC to discuss the crime at the vigil?

-It says TB had anxiety about her involvement. I cannot even imagine the nerves she must have felt the whole time!!
-I wonder if she will testify.

Thank you Hanoi.:):):)
That article was so informative.
 
I am also curious about this on many levels.

I know this is sheer speculation, and I am not suggesting or sleuthing anything here, but how much did they know about his interest in various fetishes? I know we can’t necessarily know the deepest, darkest thoughts and desires of our partners, but were there any warning signs or red flags? (in hindsight)

They interviewed TEB and worked with her extensively, so I am sure they learned a lot about BC's interests from her, as well as learning about the nature of their relationship. After collecting his electronics and getting the search warrant for their content, they were able to look at everything he had been doing online, and we know they learned a great deal from this. One of the defense motions talks about BC and TEB being in a consensual dominant/submissive relationship, with interests in bondage and whipping. They probably learned a great deal from MC as well in that first interview.

As far as red flags go, I remember reading somewhere that one thing MC described to investigators was how her husband had mentioned having disturbing dreams around that time. Whether that raised any red flags for her, I have no idea....
 
If any of you are interested in more details but don’t have a ton of time, I’d say read this one:

https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ilcd.70076/gov.uscourts.ilcd.70076.144.0.pdf

It’s the Motion to Suppress the secret recording by TB/TEB, the girlfriend/ex-girlfriend. I found it FASCINATING- almost suspenseful!- and now I am left with so many questions!


-What was the relationship between TB and BC that made BC feel comfortable enough to tell her something so damning? He was arrested right after that last conversation.
-Was it total arrogance that led BC to discuss the crime at the vigil?

They were in a dominant/submissive relationship, and I have *no* idea how these work, but perhaps he thought she was so submissive to him that she would believe everything he told her and would do everything he told her to do.

I do think it was arrogance -coupled with him possibly being so overconfident and stupid as to think that TEB was so into the dom/sub thing, that he could tell her *anything* and she wouldn't turn him in.

I think it's possible the FBI baited him into thinking he had gotten away with it. They didn't arrest him for her kidnapping back on the 15th because they probably didn't have enough evidence to charge him. So, they started surveilling him on the 16th; to try and get enough evidence to arrest him. Perhaps hoping that she was still alive and he was holding her somewhere, and he would lead them to her when he went to check on her. Or, if she had been killed, hoping he would worry that he hadn't hidden her remains well, and that he would go and check on them or try and move them to a better place.

On June 15th they took his car and searched it in Champaign and then in Springfield at the FBI division headquarters, and returned it to him ~19th of June. During that period and in the days that followed, they continued to publicly ask for anyone with info on the car to contact them. They also publicized that they were putting up billboards along highways leading away from Champaing and in nearby metro areas (St. Louis, Indiana etc....). The FBI printed up Chinese language flyers and said they were distributing them in Chinese areas around the country.

Then on the 27th or 28th, out of the blue the FBI announced that they had located the Astra YY had gotten into and would no longer need any information from the public on the car. Maybe they found fingerprints from BC's car and matched them to her by that time -or maybe after two weeks of surveillance and no sign of YY, they concluded BC wasn't going to lead them to her, so to try and get him to loosen up and talk, they decided to try and make him think the FBI was looking at someone else; they announce they found the car. Maybe that was enough to make him think it was now safe for him to start bragging to his sub about what he had done....


-I wonder if she will testify.

My guess would be yes.
 
Not linking, but we all read it.

I know very, very little about dominance/control relationships. Watching Criminal Minds and SVU may not be valid information.

I may be out in left field, or on some other planet.

Anyone else think that possibly MC remained naked until BC signaled her to comply with the law enforcement request to put on clothing?

The divorce filing took this long while her family waited through some sort of de-programming?

JMHO YMMV

Aren't we all different?
I couldn't imagine, these types of relationships can be long term, or are loving.:(:(
 
Pretty quiet, not much news and no new court filings. However, I noticed that some of the plants in Yingying's garden have bloomed and are very pretty, so I will try to get some pictures sometime over the next few days.
 
Pretty quiet, not much news and no new court filings. However, I noticed that some of the plants in Yingying's garden have bloomed and are very pretty, so I will try to get some pictures sometime over the next few days.

That's so nice! Yes please post some pictures, I loved the first set you'd put up some time ago.
 
AS promised, more pics of Yinying's garden...20181108_094433.jpg20181108_094433.jpg20181108_094424.jpg20181108_094441.jpg

Fall is taking its toll on the foliage, but one set of plants is in full bloom and they are very pretty and striking. This was what they intended. They picked a mixture of plants that bloom in spring, summer and fall, so that there would always be some color throughout the year except the winter
 
Thank you dm, it's amazing how well established the garden looks after such a short space of time. The orangey/golden plant looks very autumnal and blends with the foliage of the trees so well.
 
AS promised, more pics of Yinying's garden...View attachment 154849View attachment 154849View attachment 154850View attachment 154851

Fall is taking its toll on the foliage, but one set of plants is in full bloom and they are very pretty and striking. This was what they intended. They picked a mixture of plants that bloom in spring, summer and fall, so that there would always be some color throughout the year except the winter

Many thanks, dm92.

Some thought YYZ would be forgotten over time, as the years pass. I can see a student, an older person, a family taking time to read the script on the black stone, and asking who was she? They'll get answers from the Internet, possibly from those who knew her.

Here's the garden dedication, for those who may have missed it.

Yingying Zhang Garden to be dedicated
 
I can’t imagine ever forgetting Yingying. I hope I never do. I will gladly forget her murderer as soon as he’s convicted and sentenced, however.

@liltexans , I can't imagine forgetting Yingying either. As to Christensen, I'm glad he's off the streets. Let him rot for the rest of his life in prison.

I can't even imagine how Yingying's Family and Friends are doing. Hopefully, they'll eventually find comfort in their love for her, their love for each other, and their memories of her.
 
Friday, November 16th:
*Objections to Juror Questionnaire Hearing (@ ET) - IL - Yingying Zhang (26) (missing on June 9, 2017, Urbana; presumed dead) - Brendt A. Christensen (28) indicted (6/30/17) on kidnapping (Federal charge) resulting in death of Yingying and 2 counts of giving false statements to FBI. Plead not guilty; DA will seek DP.
11/16: Hearing on objections to Juror questionnaire; 12/14, 17, 18 & 19: Hearing on pretrial motions & jury questions; 1/4/19: Submission of proposed jury questionnaire; 1/11: Jury questionnaire mailed; 1/18: Objections to jury instructions; 2/1: Conf. on jury instructions & selection; 2/8: Motion in limine; 3/1: Response to Motion in limine; 3/4: Motion to strike potential jurors; 3/11: Pretrial Conf.; 3/25: Final Pretrial Conf.; 4/2: Jury Orientation; 4/3: Jury Selection begins; 4/9: Trial begins, which should last about 5 weeks.
7/13/18 Update: Defense files Motion for Order Required Gov’t to Comply w/Rule 12(b)(4)(B), pursuant to 4th, 5th, 6th & 8th Amendments. Calls for evidence that will be used in case-in-chief @ guilty or penalty trial where evidence maybe subject to motion to suppress.
8/16/18 Update: Judge Bruce issued an order denying the motion by BC's defense team that the government provide documents detailing any communication between the White House and the DOJ or Trump and Xi regarding this case. Also denied their motion that the government provide more detail of the evidence they will use in support of the aggravating factors.

8/24/18 Update: 24 motions filed by defense. Motion filed re reliability of DNA & blood testing used, seeking to suppress evidence, dismiss the main charge against their client and declare the federal death penalty unconstitutional. In a motion questioning why this case is a federal matter, Christensen's lawyers disclosed more information about his search of abduction fantasies on a fetish website, a detail they say is "overblown, hyperbolic, and misrepresentative of the facts." Christensen's lawyers argue, that his phone wasn't used "to commit the kidnapping or in furtherance thereof," and therefore, federal prosecutors can't claim jurisdiction. Prosecutors have argued that Christensen's phone was an instrument of interstate commerce used in committing the alleged crime.
9/21/18 Update: Defense team have filed a motion asking for more time to decide on offering Atkins defense/mental health defense. Asked the Judge for a hearing on their request. If granted, it will likely mean the trial now set for April 3, 2019, would have to be pushed back.
9/28/18 Update: Motion for Change of Venue filed by Defense (to Peoria division).
10/16/Update: Defense filed notice they will not be using Atkins defense.
 
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