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| Yingying Zhang: Illinois man convicted of China student's death | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| An Illinois jury has found a former PhD student guilty in the kidnap and murder of a Chinese student after abducting her at a bus stop. | An Illinois jury has found a former PhD student guilty in the kidnap and murder of a Chinese student after abducting her at a bus stop. |
| The court heard that Brendt Christensen, 28, beat Yingying Zhang to death with a baseball bat and decapitated her in July 2017. | The court heard that Brendt Christensen, 28, beat Yingying Zhang to death with a baseball bat and decapitated her in July 2017. |
| At trial, Christensen's former girlfriend testified that Christensen had bragged about murdering Zhang, 26. | At trial, Christensen's former girlfriend testified that Christensen had bragged about murdering Zhang, 26. |
| The same jury will determine Christensen will be sentenced to death. | |
| Christensen's former girlfriend, Terra Bullis, testified that Christensen had confessed the murder to her while they attended a vigil for the Chinese student after she was reported missing. | Christensen's former girlfriend, Terra Bullis, testified that Christensen had confessed the murder to her while they attended a vigil for the Chinese student after she was reported missing. |
| Ms Bullis told the court that Christensen had grabbed her phone and typed into the note function: "It was me." | Ms Bullis told the court that Christensen had grabbed her phone and typed into the note function: "It was me." |
| He added: "She is gone. Forever." | He added: "She is gone. Forever." |
| Ms Bullis said she agreed to wear a wire for the FBI in order to record her conversations with Christensen. | Ms Bullis said she agreed to wear a wire for the FBI in order to record her conversations with Christensen. |
| Jurors heard the secretly taped audio in court in which Christensen described Zhang's "valiant" attempt to fight back. | Jurors heard the secretly taped audio in court in which Christensen described Zhang's "valiant" attempt to fight back. |
| Zhang disappeared barely two months after coming to the US. | |
| In their opening statements, Christensen's lawyers admitted that he killed the visiting student, but disputed prosecutor's allegations of torture and premeditation, facts that could determine if Christensen is sentenced to death. | |
| They described their client as a once happily married man who became overcome with dark thoughts and struggled with addiction to alcohol. | |
| The jury reached their verdict after less than two hours of deliberation. |