No body found yet charges of torture alleged; now prosecutors seek death penalty in University of Illinois kidnapping case

(University of Illinois Police Department)

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Brendt Christensen, the Illinois man, charged with the kidnapping, killing and torture of University of Illinois scholar Yingying Zhang,who went missing last year. The jury trial is scheduled to start late February.

- U.S. prosecutors told a judge Friday they will seek the death penalty for a 28-year-old man charged with the kidnapping and killing of a University of Illinois scholar from China, also broaching new allegations that he choked and sexually assaulted someone five years ago.



Federal prosecutors filed a notice Friday with the U.S. District Court in central Illinois. It cites, among other factors, that Brendt Christensen's alleged killing of 26-year-old Yingying Zhang involved torture.

https://www.google.com/amp/abc7chicago.com/amp/prosecutors-to-seek-death-penalty-in-missing-u-of-i-scholar-case/2968813/


Two people close to former U of I graduate student Brendt Christensen were recruited by the FBI to work undercover for them on the kidnapping and presumed murder of Yingying Zhang, according to newly filed court documents.'

Motions by Christensen's attorneys castigate the government's reliance on both informants. They are seeking to suppress the recordings and the cellmate's information."

The other informant was Christensen's girlfriend, who wore a wire, when she accompanied Christensen to Zhang's vigil.

https://www.google.com/amp/abc7chicago.com/amp/feds-plant-two-secret-informants-in-u-of-i-murder-case/2953416/

I have followed this case on a regular basis, daily last year when Zhang went missing. I wish I could cover this jury trial in detail as I do Humboldt cases. The differences in Illinois laws, the FBI involvement would make this a great learning experience.

This article has reaction from Zhang's family and Christensen's defense team. The defense plans to ask for a continuance.

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2018-01-19/update-feds-seek-death-penalty-christensen-case.html

There was excellent local coverage of this case. The Wikipedia link sums up a year's worth of developments:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Yingying_Zhang