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U.S. NEWS Monday 3 July 2017
Man held in scholar’s kidnapping was grad student

appearance fed anxieties
of families of Chinese stu-
dents studying in the U.S.
Meanwhile, the charges
came as a shock to some
who knew Christensen at
the university. Cooper, a di-
rector of the graduate pro-
gram, said he’d received
no indication of anything
unusual. “There are many
ways in which we find out
there are problems with
students,” Cooper said.
“We get reports they’re
not teaching well. We get
reports from faculty that
they’re not doing well in
classes, they’re not show-
ing up for classes. None of
those flags were raised.”
Former classmate Souvik
Fangqin Wan, a graduate student at the University of Illinois, walks for Yingying Zhang, a Chinese
scholar who went missing three weeks ago, Thursday, June 29, 2017, in Urbana, Ill. The 28-year-old Dutta said he was “dumb-
Illinois man charged with kidnapping Zhang, now believed to be dead, was among a select few founded” by the news,
admitted to the University of Illinois’ highly competitive physics graduate program in 2013. recalling Christensen as
(Holly Hart/The News-Gazette via AP) a normal guy and “very
By SARA BURNETT and urged the U.S. judicial calm.”q
Associated Press system to hold a fair trial
CHICAGO (AP) — The and mete out harsh punish-
28-year-old Illinois man ment to the man charged
charged with kidnapping in the case.
a Chinese scholar now A criminal complaint ac-
believed to be dead was cuses Christensen, of
among a select few ad- Champaign, Illinois, of ab-
mitted to the University of ducting Zhang shortly after
Illinois’ highly competitive she stepped off a bus near
physics graduate program the university campus. Vid-
in 2013. eo from nearby cameras
Brendt Allen Christensen showed Zhang, on her way
originally planned to earn to sign a lease for an apart-
a doctorate degree, but ment, trying unsuccessfully
told his graduate adviser to flag down another bus.
in 2016 he had changed Minutes later, she’s seen
his mind, Professor Lance getting into a black Saturn
Cooper recalled on Sat- Astra.
urday. He didn’t say why, According to an affida-
and Christensen continued vit filed in federal court,
taking classes and teach- Christensen was under sur-
ing as a graduate assistant. veillance Thursday when
He earned his master’s de- agents overheard him ex-
gree in mid-May. plaining he had kidnapped
Christensen is in federal Zhang. Authorities say
custody awaiting a court agents believe Zhang is no
appearance Monday in longer alive based on that
the June 9 kidnapping and other facts the investi-
of Yingying Zhang, the gation uncovered.
26-year-old daughter of a The charging document
working-class factory driver says his smartphone was
from China. Weeks ago, used to visit an online forum
Zhang arrived at the uni- in April called “Abduction
versity to conduct research 101.” One of the threads on
in agricultural sciences and the forum, which was vis-
planned to begin work ited months before Zhang
on her doctorate in the went missing, was entitled,
fall. Her body hasn’t been “Perfect abduction fan-
found. tasy.” Another was about
Hong Lei, China’s general “planning a kidnapping.”
consul in Chicago, visited Some 5,600 Chinese stu-
Zhang’s family on Saturday dents are enrolled at the
when he expressed condo- university — more than at
lences. Hong condemned any other college in the
the cruelty by the suspect nation — and Zhang’s dis-