The Kidnapping and Murder of Yingying Zhang
Yingying Zhang was known as a compassionate, talented, joyous, and intelligent woman. Born 12/21/1990, she grew up in the Jianyang District, Nanping City, Fujian Province, China. Accelerating through school, she was immediately recommended and accepted into Zhongshan University’s Environmental Science program, in 2009.
Continuing to accel, Zhang was urged to attend Peking University in 2013. Here, she would pursue her Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering. Upon completion of her Master’s Degree, Yingying discovered an opportunity to study abroad and learn from a world renowned university.
April, 2017, Zhang committed to the abroad program and planted new roots at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, housing the largest Chinese population of students in the United States. The visiting scholar would partake in a research group until the beginning of her Ph.D. program the upcoming September.
Fellow students, at the university, quickly became attached to Yingying. She was not only smart, but she had many hobbies as well. Zhang enjoyed singing, playing guitar, reading, table tennis, and more. People often wondered how she found the time to sleep. Zhang also aided in numerous charities around the campus and would be the first to lend a hand to a needy family member, friend, or stranger. An all around ideal citizen.
June 9th, 2017, Zhang started off as any typical day. Beginning at Turner Hall, on campus, Zhang and other research students spent the morning cleaning lab equipment. Currently living in the south campus apartments, known to house married couples, Yingying was looking to move into the One North apartments. This would be cheaper rent and closer to her studies. An appointment was arranged to view a unit and sign a lease at One North at 1:30 p.m. on the 9th.
Yingying never showed. Everything being arranged through texting, the One North leasing agent sent a text asking, “Where are you?” She never responded. Approximately 4:00 p.m., companion research students were beginning to host fear. Always punctual, Yingying planned to be away for the lease meeting for a total of two hours. If running late, she would always communicate. Senses said something wasn’t right.
Her colleague made numerous attempts to contact Zhang. None were successful. After dinner hours, this colleague doubled back to the research office, in hopes that Yingying was just busily working. The office was quiet and empty. Next, this colleague rushed to Zhang’s apartment to see if she was home. Nobody answered. Feeling 100% certain something was wrong, the University Police were reached out to for help.
Being a Friday night, Police were uncertain of the severity of the missing scholar. University Police Detective, Eric Stiverson, stated, “We have had students go missing in the past, but they’re very rare that we don’t find them immediately.” Numerous research colleagues waited among the police department lobby. Worried and terrified for their missing friend. Other colleagues waited outside Yingying’s apartment until, approximately, midnight. Still, she never showed.
June 10th, 2017 friends of Zhang reached out to the News Gazette. The dire fear and helplessness in their voice prompted the news company to run a short article depicting the police searching for Yingying. Asking for anyone to help.
Zhang’s apartment was searched by university police. Everything appeared normal, nothing was tossed, and all of her clothing was there. Police felt confident Yingying did not simply skip town unannounced. With all of her possessions in the apartment and the fact that Zhang did not own a car, Detective Stiverson assumed that she would have taken the bus wherever she was going.
The Mass Transit District has approximately two-thousand cameras, amounting to ten-twelve per bus. Upon review of cameras on buses running routes in proximity to Zhang’s apartment, police discovered an exterior camera with her in view. At approximately 1:30 p.m., Yingying was seen boarding a bus in front of her apartment. Interior bus cameras depict her walking towards the rear of the cabin and taking a seat, alone. Shortly into the ride, Zhang exited the bus, assumingly to transfer to another route. She is seen on transit cameras attempting to wave down the next bus. She was unsuccessful.
Zhang is seen on camera waiting at a bus stop, just south of University Ave., after missing the last bus transfer. Fortunately for police, cameras on an adjacent parking garage caught the critical moment that will change Zhang’s life, forever. A black sedan was seen turning at the intersection of Yingying’s bus stop, circling the block, pulling up next to the Chinese scholar, and rolling down the passenger window. After a brief, approximately one minute, conversation between Zhang and the driver, she opened the door and commandeered the passenger seat of the sedan. Never to be seen again.
Police now knew they were not searching for a normal missing student. The table turned, drastically. Zhang was potentially kidnapped.
With the camera pictures being too pixelated for police to pinpoint any vehicular details, a request was submitted for the FBI to get involved. FBI Special Agent Anthony Manganaro identified the make and model of the vehicle. Being unique, Zhang entered a Saturn Astra. This pivoted the case due to the rarity of the vehicle. Only being produced and imported into the United States for a short period, the search narrowed. A typical vehicle, such as a Hyundai Sonata or Ford Fusion, would have approximately one-thousand registrations in Champaign County alone. With the rarity of the Astra, the entire state of Illinois only had fifty-eight registered. With this major advancement in the case, the FBI began to search deeper for the owner of the Astra.
British graduate student, Emily Hogan, experienced a fearful runnin the morning of June 9th, 2017. Hours before Yingying’s kidnapping, a black sedan, similar to the Astra, pulled up alongside Hogan. The driver, a white male wearing mirrored aviator sunglasses, rolled the window down and flashed a badge. The driver claimed to be an undercover police officer and asked Emily to get in the vehicle to answer questions about things happening in the neighborhood. She declined and reached out to the police.
So rattled, Emily makes a posts that spreads throughout campus Facebook sites warning others, “Don’t get into the car even if they claim to be police or have a badge.” Speculation suggests that if Yingying would have just opened her Facebook, there is a strong chance she would have never gotten into the car.
As University Police and the FBI pursued their investigation into locating the vehicle, the fifty-eight registered in the state became narrowed to only eighteen. At the same time, Yingying’s family traveled to the states to frantically perform their own search for Zhang and CrimeStoppers issued a $40,000 reward for information leading to the return of Zhang. This would be the largest reward, to date, offered by the organization.
Upon contacting the eighteen person’s of interest, who owned the suspect vehicles, police ran into a deadend. Hope was faltering. And then University Police Sergeant James Carter asked detectives if he could offer any assistance.
June 14th, 2017, Sgt.Carter reviewed the video segment of the suspect vehicle driving off with Zhang. Carter looped the video and watched it consistently for approximately five-ten minutes. The Sergeant noticed that the front passenger wheel had a defect. A black area near the tire wall of a piece missing. With clearer imaging, Carter was also able to recognize the vehicle having a large sunroof.
The FBI, now armed with this new information, began to refine the vehicle search for black Astras that have a damaged front passenger hubcap and a large sunroof. Reviewing case-notes from prior interviews, Special Agents realized that the first person of interest interviewed had an Astra with a large sunroof. Upon the initial interview, this subject appeared calm, cooperative, and told investigators he spent the day in question at home playing video games.
Agent Manganaro sent agents back out to the subjects apartment with a team of investigators to inspect the vehicle’s front passenger hubcap. Minutes after the team departs, Manganaro gets a photograph of a broken hubcap. Matching the vehicle in front of the agents with the vehicle that Zhang entered.
Police and FBI have now identified the owner of the Astra and suspect in Zhang’s kidnapping as Brendt Christensen. Christensen, 27 years old, is a married man who just completed a Master’s program at the University in the physics department. Known as a teaching assistant that was beloved and well respected by other students. Being married, living in an apartment on the west edge of Champaign, and having no criminal history or police contact made Brendt the last person expected compared to the assumed suspect profile.
June 15th, 2017, armed with a search warrant, police and FBI agents closed in on Christensen’s apartment. Investigators entered the residence. Witnesses on scene notated Brendt as being, “subtly surprised and overwhelmingly calm.” Christensen’s wife was nude and asked by agents to get dressed. Among one of the first things found, were a pair of mirrored aviator sunglasses. The same as Emily Hogan had described to police.
Agent Manganaro escorted Christensen to his kitchen table. Here he presented the suspect with a copy of the search warrant and asked if he would accompany him to their office, only one mile away, for an interview. Christensen turned to his wife and said, “Everything I’ve seen in the movies says I shouldn’t go, what do you think?” His wife, nonchalantly, said he should go. Detective Stiverson and Agent Manganaro drove Brendt Christensen to their office for a voluntary interview. Explaining to the suspect that he could terminate the interview at any time.
Agreeing to answer, “some questions,” Christensen began to recount his previous statement to investigators. Witnesses of the interview noted that the suspect did not show any sign of concern of why he was being questioned at early hours of the morning. Manganaro and Stiverson, their first time partnering, had extreme comfort together during the questioning. Manganaro took the “good cop” role as Stiverson played the “bad cop.”
With the confrontation of overwhelming evidence proving Christensen’s vehicle was the one that picked up Yingying, Brendt marinated in a long moment of silence. He began to show physical signs of discomfort and hyperventilation. The silence broke and Brendt stated, “Maybe I’m getting my days mixed up.” He realized his initial story has fallen apart. He followed with the following statement: “I thought I drove around on Saturday, I know I picked a girl up. I don’t remember where. I saw her picture and don’t think it was her though.” Stiverson pushed for the girl’s name.
“She was speaking very broken English,” said Christensen as he admits to picking up an asian female early afternoon on June 9th, 2017. He continued elaborating on how distressed she appeared, admitted to talking briefly, and her getting into the car. Christensen initially claims he drove a couple blocks before Zhang “freaked out” and exited the car. “Where did you take her Brendt?” asked Manganaro. “We need to find Yingying, tonight.” followed Stiverson. At this point, Christensen responded, “I think it’s time I stop answer…answering questions. I know the typical advice is to get a lawyer before you answer anything. And I think I’ve helped enough.”
Christensen was arrested for making a false statement to the FBI and detained for 24 hours. Ultimately the Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene Miller did not want to hold him and continue with the charge because he felt his release would lead them closer to finding Yingying Zhang.
Investigators had a secret plan. They would have a person, extremely, close to Christensen go undercover and seek information from him. After a period of alcohol abuse, Brendt’s wife, Michelle, gave him an ultimatum. He could either follow through with their divorce or they could partake in an open marriage. Wanting to salvage the marriage, he opted for an open marriage. Michelle had a boyfriend and Brendt had a girlfriend, Terra Bullis. Bullis would soon help investigators undercover the damning evidence needed to arrest Christensen.
Terra is expecting Brendt over and turns on her wire. Over the next couple days, numerous recordings are captured. At one point, on Terra’s front porch, Christensen is captured stating, “I am going to go talk to one of the FBI agents. I don’t…want to. I want to clear my name.” June 17th, Brendt sits down to interview again. He agrees to go for a ride with agents and attempt to point out the residential area where he dropped Zhang off.
Investigators were led on a wild goose chase by Christensen on the drive. His attempt to clear his name made him a more prime suspect.
June 29th, 2017 a vigil was held on campus in honor of Yingying Zhang. Countless people gathered with hopes of bringing her home. One of the contributors is Brendt Christensen, and he is secretly consuming alcohol throughout. Bullis’s wire captured Christensen stating, “I wanted to see how many people would be here for me,” during the vigil walk. As the vigil ended with a concert, the entire crowd stood in applause. Except Christensen, who remained seated while performing a slow, dramatic, pulsing clap.
The following transcribed on the FBI wire recording device between a conversation with Chirstensen and Bullis:
“She was valiant. She was.” says Christensen ©.
“She was?” responded Bullis (B).
“Yeah.” C
“She fight?” B
“Uh-huh.” C
“Nobody knows what happened, except for me.” C
“Nobody will know what happened.” B
“I am the only one.” C
“They’ll never find her. The family, you know, they’ll leave empty handed because no one will ever know where she is.” C
As Bullis sat with investigators going over the recording, they realized that Brendt had confessed to her what had happened to Yingying. Investigators’ plan had worked. June 30th, 2017 Agent Manganaro spent a majority of the day drafting a criminal complaint for the arrest of Brendt Christensen in the kidnapping resulting in the death of Yingying Zhang and two counts of lying to the FBI.
As the defense mounts up for a trial, they turn a video of Christensen meeting with an intern counselor over to the prosecution. The video depicts Christensen seeking counselling help for drug and alcohol abuse, marriage help, and suicidal/homicidal thoughts.
June 12th, 2019, at the trial, the defense’s opening statement admits to Brendt killing Yingying and basing it off of his mental health issues. Laying the groundwork for the defense’s hopeful insanity plea.
A search of Brendt’s phone would lead the prosecution to exhibit searches for “Abduction 101,” “perfect abduction fantasy,” and “planning a kidnapping.” Showing Christensen’s premeditated efforts in clear consciousness. He discussed in an abduction thread his detailed fantasy of a staged abduction. Including placing the female in a large duffel bag and placing it in his vehicle. He would soon purchase a similar duffel bag on Amazon.
Further searching of the Christensen apartment had uncovered a wooden baseball bat with Zhang’s blood on it, which he used to beat her after he brought her to his apartment. Traces of her blood were found, using luminol, in other areas of his apartment as well. “It was almost supernatural how she just didn’t give up.” Christensen stated at his trial. First attempting to choke Yingying, followed by rape, stabbing, and beating her to death with a baseball bat, he, ultimately, dismembered the Chinese scholar’s body and placed her in three separate trash bags. Brendt claims to have put the three bags in three separate dumpsters surrounding his apartment complex. Zhang’s remains have yet to be found and it is unknown if they will be.
Comparing himself to Ted Bundy, Christensen alleged that Yingying was his thirteenth victim, leaving twelve unknown victims before her. However, defense, prosecution, and psychologists have found no evidence substantiating his claims.
With Illinois having abolished the death penalty, Christensen is charged and tried federally and the prosecution is seeking the federal death sentence.
On June 24th, 2019, the twelve member jury, deliberating under two hours, found Brendt Christensen guilty on one count of kidnapping resulting in a death and two counts of making false statements to the FBI.
Despite the prosecution’s star witness, Terra Bullis, along with the overwhelming physical and circumstantial evidence, the jury could not unanimously agree to the death penalty. Resulting, July 18th, 2019 Christensen was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is currently serving his sentence in USP McCreary in Pine Knot, Kentucky.
For the official story, court documents, and interviews (including those of Brendt Christensen) relating to the kidnapping and death of Yingying Zhang, refer to the following:
