NEWS4U AUGUST 2021 | ENTERTAINMENT
TRUE CRIME JUNKIE WITH JOHNNY FLETCHER
THE MURDER OF YINGYING ZHANG Here's a recent case from 2017 that's heartbreaking - and
radio and television station, no closer to her destination.
also infuriating - in so many ways. The abduction and murder
That's when a black Saturn Astra passed by her before
of Yingying Zhang, a visiting Chinese scholar at the University
circling back and pulling up to the sidewalk. Yingying can
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is the stuff of nightmares
be seen briefly speaking to the driver through the open
for any parent who's ever sent their child to America in
passenger side window and then getting inside the car. It
the pursuit of a better life and a more broadened, worldly
was a terrible mistake.
view. Sadly, it only perpetuates the outsider's take that we're a violent
As we now know, Christensen took
society overrun by psychopaths
Yingying back to his apartment
- such as Brendt Christensen, a
where he sexually assaulted, beat,
Champaign resident and former
strangled and dismembered her.
physics graduate student at the
But mercifully he would not get
university. Clearly intelligent and
away with this vicious, disgusting
with a seemingly bright future, he
crime. No matter his supposed
came across as a fairly normal guy in
intelligence, Christensen couldn't
his late twenties, married and living
get around the simple fact that
in an area apartment. But inside a
his Saturn - with a unique crack
sickness brewed.
in the hubcap - was spotted on surveillance cameras as he lured
On June 9, 2017, Christensen
his victim into the car. The moment
was
lonely
during the interrogation when he
with his wife away for a few days
realizes that both the detectives
(this, despite being in an open
and the technology have outwitted
relationship and having a girlfriend
him is genuinely satisfying. And yet,
on the side) and decided to cruise
Christensen still refused to admit to
reportedly
around
the
feeling
university
campus,
killing Yingying. But another surprise
effectively trolling for a victim. He would later repeatedly
was in store for the smug intellectual. At a gathering for the
claim that this two hour casing of the streets happened a
fallen visiting Chinese scholar - which Christensen brazenly
day earlier, but surveillance cameras ultimately proved
attended - his girlfriend wore a wire and recorded him not
otherwise. Side bar: When will criminals learn that they can't
only bragging about the murder but claiming that he was a
beat technology? But back to the story... On this fateful day,
serial killer. What an idiot.
Yingying was scheduled to sign a new apartment lease but was running late. She texted the leasing agent to relay her
Christensen went to trial and received a life sentence. But
ETA - 2:10 p.m. However, a series of miscues with the bus
Yingying's parents and fiancé will never recover from the
route ensued and Yingying found herself in front of the PBS
actions of this vile psychopath.
34 | AUGUST 2021
• www.evansvillemediagroup.com
