Missing Chinese Scholar: Brendt Christensen found guilty in Zhang's killing

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A guilty verdict in the murder trial of a Chinese scholar in the United States. Brendt Christensen, a 28 year-old former doctoral student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, was found responsible for kidnapping and killing 26-year-old Zhang Yingying in 2017. CGTN's Dan Williams reports.

Brendt Christensen arrived at Peoria's Federal Courthouse on Monday, knowing that a jury would likely decide if he was guilty of kidnapping and killing Zhang Yingying.

With Christensen's defense attorney having already admitted his client killed the Chinese scholar, the jurors were expected to render a quick verdict.

In closing statements, Christensen's attorneys again made clear their client was responsible for the kidnapping and death of 26-year-old Zhang, whose body has never been recovered.

"It's Brendt's fault," federal defender Elisabeth Pollock told the court as Christensen sat with his eyes closed. "It's nobody's fault but his." But, she said, Christensen was not a serial killer.

His attorneys already appear to be laying the groundwork for the sentencing phase.

DAN WILLIAMS PEORIA, ILLINOIS "The jury took under two hours to reach a decision. They verdict was unanimous. Guilty on all three charges. Christensen now faces the death penalty."

In the meantime, some satisfaction for Zhang's family, that justice was served. But they know nothing can be done to bring Zhang back.

Afterwards, the family told me they still want answers to the events of two years ago.

YE LIFENG ZHANG YINGYING'S MOTHER "I am very touched today. Thanks very much to the jury. I really miss my daughter I want to take her home. I want to take her home."

HOU XIAOLIN ZHANG YINGYING'S FIANCE "We want him to confess as soon as possible, so the most important thing is to tell us where Yingying is. And our biggest hope is finding Yingying and taking her home."

The sentencing phase will begin in two weeks. The same jury will decide whether Christensen will spend the rest of his life behind bars or sentenced to death.