When a Campus Fame Turns into a Tragic Tale
In a smaller Midwestern city, a seemingly ordinary university setting erupted into one of the darkest lawsuits of the year.
Meet the Players
- Brendt Christensen – a 29‑year‑old graduate‑student instructor at the University of Illinois.
- Zhang Yingying – a 26‑year‑old scholar from China conducting research on campus.
- The Court – where a defense lawyer came to terms with the crime, while the prosecution presented chilling details.
The Crime in Crude Detail
- Zhang vanished in June 2017 after being taken into Christensen’s car. She never returned.
- Prosecutors alleged a brutal sequence: kidnapping, rape, choking, a baseball‑bat blow to the head, and a final act of decapitation.
- One judge’s assistant, Eugene Miller, warned that “they’ll never find her” once the body’s disposed of.
Defense’s Twist: “A Perfect Storm”
Attorney George Taseff described Christensen as battling substance abuse, a troubled marriage, and academic pressures. He argued that these “perfect storm” factors should spare the defendant from the death penalty.
Weird Crimes & Mental‑Health Claims
During the trial, prosecutors revealed shocking recordings that supposedly show Christensen bragging about the kidnapping. They also mentioned:
- Interest in serial killers, bondage, and sad‑omasochism.
- An attempt to arrange a “consensual kidnapping” via a fetishist website.
- Claiming he was a “thirteenth victim” – a claim lacking evidence.
Civil Action: When the Office Steps In
The lawsuit filed on Friday included the university’s own social workers, arguing that their treatment plan failed to alert the institution to Christensen’s dangerous behavior. The claim includes:
- Wrongful death and negligence by the university.
- Records of Christensen’s drug and alcohol addiction.
- His documented homicidal thoughts and obsession with serial killers.
Where It All Went Wrong
From a quiet campus to a courtroom buzzing with dread, the story reminds us that even places that turn out to be playgrounds for learning can become crucibles of terror. The echoes of this case will reverberate through the community and disbelief will linger long after the final verdict.
