(Feature Image Credit: ABC 20/20). After his conviction and trial, the fate of Yingying Zhangs body came to light. Yingying Zhang Zhang; Zhonghua Gao (Contributorpp. Yet historically, the Middle Kingdom was not any more punitive than its Western counterparts, and recent surveys show a two-thirds support rate for the death penalty in China, roughly the same as those from the U.S. over the same time period. Im surprised, though perhaps I should not be, by how little awareness there is. Rights of a criminal suspect were seen as obtuse hurdles inhibiting a swift conviction. A source close to the investigation said the landfill has not been searched. Citations 15. A journalism student at Northwestern University at the time of Yingyings disappearance, Shi had assisted in the search efforts and witnessed the familys pain from the very beginning. The family also said they are working with the University of Illinois to create a gravesite in her memory. According to Bullis, who testified during Christensens trial, she felt very conflicted because she still cared for Christensen, but she also cared about what had happened to Zhang. I have seen this logo before. Yingying Zhang. While capital punishment has little effect in deterring criminal behavior, in the era of mass incarceration, vocal support of the death penalty has become an effective tool for elected officials, including judges and prosecutors, to signal their tough stance on crime, hence appealing to the nations racist impulses and the publics thirst for vengeance. After the trial ended and public attention moved on, Yingyings disappearance has stayed with me like a needle floating in my veins. 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. Cameras show her getting into a black car and authorities identified Brendt Christensen as the suspect. My mind had filled in the rest of the plot. New information is expected to be provided on the search for her body in a . Zhang was observed on video walking to an intersection and standing at a bus stop. The FBI approached Bullis, who was very confident about Brendts innocence. electronic edition via DOI; unpaywalled version; references . We share the same feelings. Calls to her cell phone went unanswered. 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. Yingying Zhang was born in 1990 in China and by the time she was 27, she had graduated with a Master Degree and had traveled to the United States to conduct research on photosynthesis at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She knows how hard it is to raise a child. With over 6,000 Chinese students, accounting for 12 percent of its student body, UIUC is home to the largest Chinese community among U.S. universities. A world safe and free means that no one is left behind. Later, in the other interview, authorities extracted an admission from Christensen that Zhang had been in his car, prompting the surveillance, according to the affidavit. On June 29, 2017, while Christensen was under law enforcement surveillance, agents overheard him explaining that he kidnapped Zhang. Can we find that guys mother? she asks. Jul 2021; Xu Junhao; Yingying Zhang . Would love your thoughts, please comment. Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of listeriosis, a bacterial infection that can cause severe illness, including septicaemia via blood infection, meningitis and encephalitis in the brain, and perinatal infection or abortion via . The defense pointed to inconsistencies in her claims. Christensen, 30, was sentenced to life without parole. To be a Chinese student or scholar in the U.S. is to chart a lonely existence. He seemingly boasted about choking, sexually assaulting, and beating Zhang to death with a baseball bat. One of her favorite songs was The Rose, a hit in 1980 for American singer Bette Midler, reported The Chicago Tribune. The case is being featured on 20/20 on November 15, 2019. It took more than two years for Christensen to be convicted. The Wisconsin native had just graduated from UIUC with a masters degree in physics, after deciding that a Ph.D. was not for him. Sep 2017 - Dec 20225 years 4 months. Its on the T-shirt Yingying wore in a photo shortly after arriving in the U.S. The political catastrophes in the first half of the 20th century brought a new urgency and understanding to human rights and the necessity of constraining state power. After her education, she planned on marrying her fianc and eventually returning to China to become a teacher. Yingying Zhang was born on December 21, 1990 in China. It was also revealed that Christensen was photographed attending a rally for the victim. 15. As I was preparing to write this essay, I spent an evening at my favorite restaurant, where I ate dinner and sipped two glasses of wine by the bar. Beckett said Christensen's defense attorneys told federal prosecutors what he did with Zhang's body in November 2018, but the information was provided under a grant of immunity, so prosecutors could not disclose the information to anyone until after the trial. A minute later she gets in the car and it drives off. I eventually regained some mobility and dialed a friend. Christensen lured Zhang into his car at a bus stop on campus posing as a police officer with the . That alleged admission built on previous statements that Christensen made to the FBI in which he allegedly confessed that Zhang had been in his car, although he claimed she left it voluntarily, the affidavit says. The jury was not told about his death wish. Photos of Yingying Zhang on a tree on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana, Ill. Photo: Stephen Haas/The News-Gazette via AP, This is the last entry in Yingyings journal. Yingying Zhang's father, Ronggao Zhang, reads a statement in Chinese outside the federal courthouse in Peoria, Illinois, on Monday, June 24, 2019, moments after a 12-person jury found Brendt Christensen guilty of her kidnapping and death. Previous Articles Next Articles The Empowerment of Rural Women through Digital Entrepreneurship: A Case of Typical Villages in Qianpai Town, Guangdong Province ABC Murdered University of Illinois student Yingying Zhang in a family photo. Christensen has never revealed what he did with Zhang's remains. Growing up, she had a loving family; Her . However, soon, through the lenses of CCTVs, the police learned that the answer might be a lot closer to home than people thought. 37. 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 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. Ph.D., 2016, Xiamen University. Born on December 21, 1990, in Nanping, Fujian Province, Ying Ying Zhang was a Chinese student at the University Of Illinois. Send it to The Daily Beasthere. Brendt was also ordered to pay a hefty fine of $250,000 for each conviction. First published on August 7, 2019 / 6:12 PM. Got a tip? 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. Three days before Christensens arrest, the Chinese government had just issued new rules aimed at curbing police abuse. The affidavit provides a detailed accounting of the last moments Zhang is seen. It creates and reinforces a binary: us versus them, good versus evil, the deserving versus the unwanted. Yingyings body has never been found. 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. Thats because, not only was Christensen convicted in Zhangs death, but his lawyer revealed in court that he admits to murdering her. Christensen is still in a downstate jail, awaiting assignment to a federal penitentiary where he will spend the rest of his life. She told police that her husband was a psychopath and that she was 80% certain he had kidnapped and killed the Chinese scholar. The case was dismissed. But I also knew the real point of tension between us in relation to this case had nothing to do with criminal procedure. Her life was swallowed by the dark currents of race, gender, and border politics. Authorities interviewed Christensen who allegedly told authorities that, between 2 and 3 p.m. on June 9, 2017, the day that Zhang disappeared, he could not initially recall his whereabouts. Ive spoken with many friends and colleagues in physics about this case. China Central Television ran a feature: The Terrifying Right to Remain Silent60 Days after Yingying Zhangs Disappearance. 29 Nov - Zhang Yingying and Wang Xiaofei's mother Zhang Lan seem to be butting heads when it comes to the mainland businessman, after the actress seemingly decided to declare that they are dating.. As reported on CTWant, the 26-year-old actress, who has been romantically linked to Wang for months and was even accused of being the third party in his previous marriage with Barbie Hsu, recently . The U.S. is the only Western democracy that regularly executes people. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. I was too heavy! I joke with my friends. Zhang family attorney Steve Beckett said, based on information provided by federal prosecutors and attorneys for convicted killer Brendt Christensen, her body likely was taken to a landfill near Danville, Illinois, after Christensen placed her remains in three garbage bags and tossed them in a dumpster. Less than 10 percent of murders and 20 percent of rapes are committed by strangers. The chest infection was so severe that her heart did not respond to CPR during surgery. Lifeng Ye, mother of slain University of Illinois scholar Yingying Zhang, cries out in grief as her husband, Ronggao Zhang, left, addresses the media after a jury found Brendt Christensen guilty . It's June 12, 2019, two years and three days after Yingying went missing, the first day of the jury trial in the United States v. Brendt Christensen. Determined to find a closure to the case, authorities decided to turn to CCTVs as a last-ditch effort to locate her. On the 9 th of June 2017 a 26 year old Chinese scholar studying at the University of Illinois went missing. Most of them would not have known the context behind my post. 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. 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 same jurors took less than 90 minutes to convict Christensen last month in the killing of Yingying Zhang. However, even with massive searches and attractive cash rewards announced, the few leads the police got led to nothing. 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. Even as the family of Yingying Zhang acknowledges the near impossibility of her remains ever being found, . This study showed . That was the last anyone ever heard or saw from Zhang. Torture during detention is commonplace in China. A black sedan circles around the block and stops in front of her. The answer is no. When she did not turn up on time for the lease signing, the agent sent her a text which went unanswered. April 02, 2022. To date, Yingying Zhang's remains have never been found. Highly Influential Citations 1. Clothing/Jewelry Description A pink and white flannel long-sleeved shirt over a white shirt, jeans, white shoes, and a . Authorities narrowed their search down to 18 four-door Saturn Astra vehicles registered in Champaign County and interviewed the owners. From Yangtze to Mars: The Fiery History of Chinas Space Program, The US Is Building Walls Around Science, and Were All Poorer for It. By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content. Also part of the case that was sealed: a motion to exclude evidence of a lost Illinois State Police badge found on the roadway four days after the disappearance of Yingying Zhang. "A lot of news coverage of . . She runs after another bus but narrowly misses it. Western critics point to this as another example of the countrys abysmal human rights record, while Chinese officials and prominent academics claim that the legitimacy of capital punishment is ingrained in Chinese tradition and endorsed by its people. 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. In a string of angry messages, I picked apart her arguments and refuted them one by one. However, Brendt never returned for a second counseling session like he was asked to. Five years ago in April 2017, Yingying Zhang arrived at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as an international student and a visiting scholar to pursue her doctorate. She gets off the bus. Yingying Zhang was a visiting scholar from China at UIUC. I feel sorry that Ive brought knowledge of this gruesome crime to people dear to me, but Ive always felt responsible for Yingyings death, that Im complicit by my profession. (AP/AAP) Zhang's mother, Lifeng Ye, cried . One of them, a law student, noted that the presumption of innocence is a first principle and a literally foundational American value.. Christensen is serving a life prison term. Zhang's father said if his daughter's remains are ever found, her family plans to take her body back to China. During the trial, several people, including Terra Bullis, testified against Brendt. He does not have to be beaten, my mother wrote. Yingying ZHANG | Cited by 11,350 | of Tsinghua University, Beijing (TH) | Read 163 publications | Contact Yingying ZHANG Two months after Yingying went missing, her mother and younger brother arrived in the U.S. As seen about halfway through the film, the humble woman from Nanping weeps in the backseat of a car. 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. 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. 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. I too came to the U.S. for my Ph.D., and studied at the University of Chicago, a two-hour drive from UIUC, where many of my colleagues and friends work. I felt fine the next morning, as if it were all just a dream. On most days, its barely noticeable; then suddenly, the sharp end declares its piercing presence. Alpha, our German Shepherd dog, left us forever on Feb 28, 2021. What happened to Yingying could never have happened in China, she insisted, echoing the talking points on state media that U.S. authorities were only paying attention to the case because China is strong. Alpha was very healthy and energetic otherwise. She was the first in her family to graduate from college in 2013 and to go on to finish a master's degree in 2016 in the field of agricultural sciences at . Friday the I-Team reported information that government and defense attorneys both wanted kept quiet during the trial. Joined Aug 8, 2019 Messages 18 Reaction score 210. Missing Since 06/09/2017. 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. In the previous study, we revealed that SMA/CORM2, through releasing CO induced macrophage reprogramming toward M2 polarization fulfills the anti-inflammatory effect and promotes liver regeneration (Song et al., 2021).However, besides the macrophage-mediated inflammatory process, other inflammation . 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). Body Discovered Date Never Found. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Her disappearance was big news in China as well as the United States as the Urbana-Champaign community mobilized to find the promising young environmental engineer who was researching crop production. A bilingual memorial service for Zhang will be held on Friday in Savoy, Illinois. He was convicted two years later. Associate Professor, Tsinghua University - Cited by 8,825 - Nanomaterials - Nanochemistry - Carbon nanotubes Show more detail . That recording provided them with the key piece of evidence outlined in the affidavit. According to ABC 7, after Christensens trial, it was revealed that he told his lawyers that he put Yingyings remains in three separate garbage bags and placed them in a dumpster outside his Champaign apartment. Authorities think Zhangs body might be in multiple landfills, but thats never been determined for sure. We are both mothers. The song is Avril Lavignes Complicated. If I look back on the early aughts, when life revolved around school and heartbreak was about boys, Avrils voice will accompany those reels of memory. He told authorities that he was at home around the time in question. 10: 2021: The Vacancy Effect on Thermal Interface Resistance between Aluminum and Silicon by Molecular Dynamics. Publications 10. h-index 3. When Yingying Zhang went missing on June 9, 2017, the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign was thrown into chaos as people searched frantically for the visiting Chinese scholar. Who, or what, keeps a community safe? They have since divorced. Paradoxically, it also offers a primal sense of security. At the end of the verdict form, the jury added a mitigating factor: Mr. She left her quaint, mountain top home town after receiving a scholarship to study at the Chinese Academy . My mother insisted that predators would not care for an old woman like her, though she was barely 40. (. Her life is frozen in time, while mine goes on. After nine days of trial and less than two hours of deliberations, the jury found Christensen guilty. After reviewing hours of interviews and hundreds of pages of documents on him, Im haunted by a sense of familiarity. Since then, they've likely been covered by at least 30 feet of landfill. 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