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

[kittythehare]

Jury To Hear Closing Arguments In Brendt Christensen Trial, Charged In Murder Of Chinese Scholar Yingying Zhang
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If the jury finds Christensen guilty, they then must decide if he should face the federal death penalty. The penalty phase of the trial could last two weeks.

 

[kittythehare]

WAND TV News on Twitter
I'm unable to open this link due to EU regulations

 

[Webthrush]

WAND TV News on Twitter
I'm unable to open this link due to EU regulations

For those who can't open it, the news report just talks about the Defense wanting more documents and in-house emails from the U of I counseling center than what they have so far received (about BC's visits). The Judge will decide what, if anything more, will be made available.
(sidenote: WAND-TV is my old hometown TV station, though I left there almost 40 yrs. ago.)

 

[kittythehare]

For those who can't open it, the news report just talks about the Defense wanting more documents and in-house emails from the U of I counseling center than what they have so far received (about BC's visits). The Judge will decide what, if anything more, will be made available.
(sidenote: WAND-TV is my old hometown TV station, though I left there almost 40 yrs. ago.)

I had a feeling it would resonate with someone here!
a few new motions to be sorted before closing and journos reporting that jury will begin deliberations today, I very much doubt it...but here's hoping.

 

[Webthrush]

I guess the Defense’s tactic/ploy is more clear now (at least as I see it): they’re not saying BC is mentally ill, and certainly not innocent… they’re arguing he knew right from wrong and knew he needed some treatment or intervention, but when he actively sought it the University and society failed him (somehow I guess, diluting his responsibility?) — and this I think is s’posed to draw him just enough sympathy to evade the death penalty. I don’t think the jury will go for it, but again, it only takes one juror (to block the DP after finding him guilty).

 

[kittythehare]

I guess the Defense’s tactic/ploy is more clear now (at least as I see it): they’re not saying BC is mentally ill, and certainly not innocent… they’re arguing he knew right from wrong and knew he needed some treatment or intervention, but when he actively sought it the University and society failed him (somehow I guess, diluting his responsibility?) — and this I think is s’posed to draw him just enough sympathy to evade the death penalty. I don’t think the jury will go for it, but again, it only takes one juror (to block the DP after finding him guilty).

Have you read this? Reporter’s Notebook: Complete notes from the Christensen trial
I'm interested in what you make of TB's response to the question of what BC told Michelle, exactly in 2016, bearing in mind it's not a transcript , but journo's notes?
Possibly an error.
Mega if true. Have you got time?

EDIT, cos somebody was kind enough to email me a copypaste of the article

this line

Christensen says he once drunkenly rambled to Michelle about some of his deeds, and that she almost divorced him after he told her.

Christensen refers to Zhang, saying she’s gone foreve

 

[Bluetick40]

Delete. Question answered ☺

 

[kittythehare]

Which day's notes?

TB day
within this body of notes, exact sentence in post above
Christensen also describes “doing stuff” to Zhang of a sexual nature, but adding that he was bored with it.

Christensen abruptly switches the conversation to the fact he’s hungry, and wants to find something to eat.

Bullis asks him, “Is 13 really a big number?”, referring to the number of people he claims to have killed.

“It’s bigger than Jeffrey Dahmer,” he says, “Bigger than John Wayne Gacy. I have caught the nation’s attention, apparently.”

Nelson asks Bullis what the thumping noise in the recording is. Bullis says it’s her heartbeat.

On the recording, Christensen says he once drunkenly rambled to Michelle about some of his deeds, and that she almost divorced him after he told her.

Christensen refers to Zhang, saying she’s gone forever.

“I can do this within hours,” he says, “It’s a weird thing to be really good at, but it’s true.”

In court, Bullis describes his speaking as “clinical”.

Nelson then points out that in the car ride that followed the conversation, Michelle asked if Brendt was drunk, and Bullis said he was.

Bullis says she took that to mean that he’d been drinking, but wasn’t “drunk” in the literal sense.

Bullis says she called the FBI when she got home, and says she felt devastated, and cried. She says she turned the recordings over to Special Agent Huckstadt.

Bullis says Christensen tried to contact her numerous times after he was arrested, saying she had an entire phone screen full of missed calls. She says Michelle also tried to contact her.

Bullis says she and Christensen weren’t sexually active since before June 9, 2017. She says he was focused on developments of the investigation, and that he did most of the talking between the two of them.

Bullis says the publicity from the case deeply affected her. She says she was no longer able to work in a public environment, that she sought mental health treatment, and asked the FBI for financial help after Christensen was arrested.

Bullis says she got seven or eight thousand dollars from the FBI, mostly in reimbursements for things.

“How does it feel to be testifying against him today?” Nelson asks her

 

[kittythehare]

Jury off to deliberate, they are gone out.
no reports of closings yet
BREAKING: Jury is off to deliberate @WCIA3
AA

 

[kittythehare]

this, eh? Millar didn;t know defense strategy!!!
During closing arguments, AUSA Eugene Miller admits they had no idea the defense would admit BC killed #YingyingZhang in their opening statements. Says there still needed to be a trial because that did not satisfy the govt's job to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt (AA)

 

[kittythehare]

Miller says there's an old proverb: "Idle hands are the devil's workshop. Says BC had idle hands during Spring 2017




Miller refers to their "mountain of evidence", and calls the defense's characterization of BC's life being in a "downward spiral" as "fair


"Alcohol did not put these thoughts in his head," Miller says. He argues the whole thing was entirely premeditated.

"He didn't want to get drunk..." the morning of the kidnapping, Miller says. "After all, he had a kidnapping...and murder to execute." @

During Miller's closing, the carpet and the duffel bag are out in front of the jury. Christensen is looking down. Courtroom is packed

Miller goes through each indictment stipulation, summarizes evidence. "Regretfully, the evidence is overwhelming," he says. "We urge you to return a guilty verdict for counts one, two, and three."

"Alcohol is not responsivle for Yingying's murder. The defendant is," Miller says. Says the same is true for Michelle Zortman and Terra Bullis. Says the alcohol doesn't matter. "Two shots, no shots, four shots," says Miller, saying he still killed her @WCIA3

 

[kittythehare]

Matt Masterson
Asst. U.S. Attorney Eugene Miller spent an hour detailing the government's case from start to finish, saying Christensen's alcohol and marital problems aren't to blame for Zhang's death. Only Christensen is.

Federal defender Elisabeth Pollock agreed, saying no one is to blame for Zhang's death except Christensen. "It's Brendt's fault," she said during the defense closing

But Pollock again contested some of the evidence the government has treated as fact, including Christensen's boast that he had killed 12 other women. Pollock reiterated there is no evidence supporting that claim whatsoever

 

[kittythehare]

1. But, "There are certain things that you don't know," Pollock says, "That you can't know, that the government wants you to assume," @WCIA3
   
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   Aaron Eades‏Verified account @WCIA3Eades 2m2 minutes ago
   Ast. Fed. Defender Elisabeth Pollock makes her closing argument. Thanked the jury for their time, then referenced Taseff's opening statement. "He told you we're not going to make excuses for Brendt's killing of #YingyingZhang. We are not going to contest the facts.
   

Says Miller gave the jury a long narrative of what the gov't thinks happened, and is asking them to assume he did the things he claimed to have done in the apartment and used the duffel bag to kidnap #Yi

 

[kittythehare]

Ben
Prosecution and defense just made their closing arguments. Assistant Federal Defender Elisabeth Pollock said, "I expect that you will" find Christensen guilty. "But we're going to move on after that."

And "You have to go into the next phase of trial."

he again admitteed, "It's Brendt's fault.

The jury was given instructions and just went into their deliberation room. The court ordered them lunch for around noon

he judge said it'll take a little time for all the evidence to be brought to them, and for jury instructions to be printed. (5

Once they reach a verdict, Judge Shadid said he'd hold it for 30 minutes to allow people to return to the courtroom (6/6

 

[kittythehare]

1. She says they tried the case because the government wants to kill him. Miller objects, saying this isn't that phase of the trial. Pollock wraps it up, asking jury to keep open hearts/minds. @WCIA3
   
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   Aaron Eades‏Verified account @WCIA3Eades 4m4 minutes ago
   "It's nobody's fault but his," Pollock says, adding that all the jury needs to convict is Miller's evidence they've seen. @WCIA3
   
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   Aaron Eades‏Verified account @WCIA3Eades 5m5 minutes ago
   She reaffirms that the things Brendt said were "awful and horrible". "We never said it was Michelle's fault...It's Brendt's fault. There's no excuse or justification for what he did." @WCIA3
   

 

[kittythehare]

Lunchtime Gazette
LIVE: The trial of Brendt Christensen, Day 9

 

[kittythehare]

Courtney

1. Prosecution: “Alcohol did not put these thoughts into his (BC’s) head.” @WCIA3
   
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   Courtney Bunting‏ @cbuntingWCIA3 4m4 minutes ago
   Prosecution: “He (BC) just wanted a petite woman, easy to subdue, easy to dispose of.” @WCIA3
   
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   Courtney Bunting‏ @cbuntingWCIA3 5m5 minutes ago
   Prosecution argues that BC was “afraid to give up his lifestyle” and get a job. They refer to the old proverb: “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop” and say that BC spent his free time planning Zhang’s abduction.
   
   
4. 1. Defense argues that BC was “afraid to give up his lifestyle,” says he dreaded the idea of getting a job and refers to the old saying, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” to explain that BC spent his time planning Zhang’s abduction. @WCIA3
      
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      Courtney Bunting‏ @cbuntingWCIA3 13m13 minutes ago
      The defense argues that BC was in the midst of a “downward spiral” in his life, but says the spiral was BC’s fault alone. @W
      

 

[kittythehare]

1. .being non-responsive. So we'll see what the judge decides about that. @WCIA3
   
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   Aaron Eades‏Verified account @WCIA3Eades 3m3 minutes ago
   ...complied with a subpoena by the defense team for all of BC's counseling documents. Lawyers give judge "everything" in a binder so he can review it, says the motion was filed before they could sort it out with the defense. Pollock, on the other hand, says they were just...
   
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3. 
   Aaron Eades‏Verified account @WCIA3Eades 3m3 minutes ago
   Now BEFORE ALL OF THAT: The day began with legal teams bickering about the jury instructions, which they did eventually iron out. Then lawyers for @Illinois_Alma appear, summoned to explain why the U of I shouldn't be held in contempt because they might not have...
   

 

[dm92]

Saw most of the closing arguments. Missed about the first half of the government's statement. Defense statement only ten minutes long.

Random notes:

Government believes he put her in the duffle bag to take back to the apartment and carried her in in it.

Christensen noted how strong YY was.

Govt. considers choking her for ten minutes to be torture.

Defense statement extremely short

Play for sympathy: alcohol, alcohol, alcohol

Play up govt. can't prove exactly what happened in apartment, only have his words. Make a big deal about no DNA in bathroom.

Make a big deal about not being able to prove he used duffle bag

Prosecution objected to Pollock talking about penalty phase. Judge told her this was about guilt phase and told jury not to consider her statement.

Govt rebuttal: points out to jury they are allowed to make reasonable inferences based on evidence they have to conclude something happened.

( for example: did he use the bag? BC bought bag twice, bag was huge and big enough to carry someone, BC told woman he would use bag to take her to apartment in consensual kidnapping. BC GOT RID OF THE BAG. Thus, reasonable if jurors conclude he did use the bag to aid in kidnapping YY.

Jury now deliberating

 

[kittythehare]

1. rosecution refers to BC wanting to be “remembered” and says,”Unfortunately, serial killers are remembered; serial killers are infamous.” @WCIA3
   
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   Courtney Bunting‏ @cbuntingWCIA3 7m7 minutes ago
   Prosecution refers to defendent’s phone and how he had browsing history related to the murder and had bondage photos all in his phone that were able to be recovered. @WCIA3
   
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   Courtney Bunting‏ @cbuntingWCIA3 9m9 minutes ago
   Prosecution says, even when BC stopped drinking, it didn’t stop his “dark thoughts.” @WCIA3
   

Prosecution (Eugene Miller) explains that BC bought a bottle of rum the morning of June 9, but only drank two shots, which his wife Michelle testified would have “no effect” on BC

Miller: “We know Ted Bundy was an inspiration to BC.