A man was convicted of kidnapping and killing a Chinese student who he reportedly raped and tortured before she died.
Brendt Christensen, 29, now faces the death penalty after he was found guilty on Monday of killing 26-year-old Yingying Zhang in Urbana, Illinois in June 2017.
Assistant US State’s Attorney Eugene Miller told the court: ‘He kidnapped her, he murdered her, he covered up his crime. He didn’t know her by name, but her name wasn’t important to him,’ according to a News-Gazette reporter.
‘Although he raped her, this was not about sex…this was always about murder.’
Christensen’s lawyer, Elizabeth Pollock, admitted her client murdered Zhang in her closing argument although she disputed accusations of premeditation and torture – which are factors that could sway a jury to sentence Christensen to the death penalty.
Prosecutors said that Christensen had a rape fetish and often read online posts about fantasies with titles like ‘abduction play’ or ‘abduction 101.’
Pollock said that BDSM may be fine for some people, ‘It was not ok for Brendt’ because a ‘link was established for him between sex and violence.’
Pilot dies after Eurofighter jets crash into each other over GermanyPolice say Christensen abducted Zhang from the University of Illinoise Champaign-Urbana campus, then took her to his home where he raped her, beat her with a baseball bat, then beheaded her.
Her body has not been found.
After Zhang disappeared, Christensen and his then-girlfriend Terra Bullis, 26, attended a vigil for missing Chinese scholar where Christensen reportedly admitted that he was her killer.
Bullis told authorities that he laughed as he described raping and beheading Zhang. He also reportedly looked at the crowd gathered at the vigil and told Bullis ‘they’re all here for me.’
Christensen, who was allegedly infatuated with serial killers, told Bullis that Zhang was his 13th victim and ‘was stronger than any victim I’ve ever had.’
Why Forrest Gump wouldn’t get made in 2019, according to producerBullis, who ended up recording nine conversations with the now-convicted killer, asked him ‘Do you think you might be the next successful serial killer?’
Christensen replied: ‘I already am,’ however, police have yet to find any evidence of Christensen’s claims.
He is set to appear in court for his sentencing hearing on July 8.
