Crime & Safety
University Of Illinois Kidnapping: New Charges For Man Accused In Death Of Chinese Scholar
Brendt Christensen is due to appear in court Wednesday in the kidnapping and death of 26-year-old Yingying Zhang.
URBANA, IL — A man accused of abducting and killing of a University of Illinois scholar from China is going to be arraigned on new charges.
Federal court records show that 28-year-old Brendt Christensen is scheduled to appear before a judge Wednesday afternoon. He previously was charged with abducting 26-year-old Yingying Zhang of Nanping, China. But a grand jury last week returned a superseding indictment charging him with the more serious crime of kidnapping resulting in Zhang's death.
The new indictment alleges that Christensen intentionally killed Zhang and that her death involved torture or serious physical abuse. If convicted of the new charge, Christensen would face the death penalty or mandatory life in prison. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive and breaking news alerts.)daily newsletters Link Removed
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Zhang disappeared June 9, weeks after arriving at the campus in the central Illinois city of Champaign. Even though her body hasn't been found, authorities believe Zhang is dead.
Main photo: Yingying Zhang/University of Illinois Police Department via AP File
