True Crime Junkie

WITH JOHNNY FLETCHER

THE MURDER OF YINGYING ZHANG

Here's a recent case from 2017 that's heartbreaking - and also infuriating - in so many ways. The abduction and murder of Yingying Zhang, a visiting Chinese scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is the stuff of nightmares for any parent who's ever sent their child to America in the pursuit of a better life and a more broadened, worldly view. Sadly, it only perpetuates the outsider's take that we're a violent society overrun by psychopaths - such as Brendt Christensen, a Champaign resident and former physics graduate student at the university. Clearly intelligent and with a seemingly bright future, he came across as a fairly normal guy in his late twenties, married and living in an area apartment. But inside a sickness brewed.

On June 9, 2017, Christensen was reportedly feeling lonely with his wife away for a few days (this, despite being in an open relationship and having a girlfriend on the side) and decided to cruise around the university campus, effectively trolling for a victim. He would later repeatedly claim that this two hour casing of the streets happened a day earlier, but surveillance cameras ultimately proved otherwise. Side bar: When will criminals learn that they can't beat technology? But back to the story... On this fateful day, Yingying was scheduled to sign a new apartment lease but was running late. She texted the leasing agent to relay her ETA - 2:10 p.m. However, a series of miscues with the bus route ensued and Yingying found herself in front of the PBS radio and television station, no closer to her destination. That's when a black Saturn Astra passed by her before circling back and pulling up to the sidewalk. Yingying can be seen briefly speaking to the driver through the open passenger side window and then getting inside the car. It was a terrible mistake.

As we now know, Christensen took Yingying back to his apartment where he sexually assaulted, beat, strangled and dismembered her. But mercifully he would not get away with this vicious, disgusting crime. No matter his supposed intelligence, Christensen couldn't get around the simple fact that his Saturn - with a unique crack in the hubcap - was spotted on surveillance cameras as he lured his victim into the car. The moment during the interrogation when he realizes that both the detectives and the technology have outwitted him is genuinely satisfying. And yet, Christensen still refused to admit to killing Yingying. But another surprise was in store for the smug intellectual. At a gathering for the fallen visiting Chinese scholar - which Christensen brazenly attended - his girlfriend wore a wire and recorded him not only bragging about the murder but claiming that he was a serial killer. What an idiot.

Christensen went to trial and received a life sentence. But Yingying's parents and fiancé will never recover from the actions of this vile psychopath.