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Murderer of Yingying Zhang convicted on all counts, potentially the first death penalty in Illinois since the abolition of capital punishment

Hierophant

Hierophant

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,196
Sydney

Brendt Christensen has been found guilty in the kidnapping and death of Chinese scholar Yingying Zhang, setting the stage for what could be the first death sentence handed down within Illinois since the state abolished capital punishment in 2011.

The 12-person jury deliberated for less than two hours to reach the verdict, which was largely expected given that Christensen's own defense team has repeatedly said during trial he was responsible for Zhang's kidnapping and death.
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Jurors listened to eight days of testimony over the last two weeks in the landmark case, which culminated in closing statements Monday morning. Just as they did on day one, Christensen's defense team made clear their client is responsible for Zhang's death, but asked jurors to keep their eyes on the facts of the case when deciding their verdict.

"It's Brendt's fault," federal defender Elisabeth Pollock said as Christensen sat with his eyes closed. "It's nobody's fault but his."
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Zhang was last seen alive on June 9, 2017 getting into Christensen's black Saturn Astra on the U. of I. campus after she missed a bus to an appointment. The two did not previously know each other and her remains have never been found.

But FBI investigators testified they found her blood and DNA inside Christensen's Champaign apartment, where he raped, beat and decapitated her, according to a statement he made to his then-girlfriend Terra Bullis as they attended a memorial vigil for Zhang.
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Imagine being such a monster they deliberately bring back the death penalty just for you. It's also of note that the murderer hasn't led police to the remains of the victim, causing untold amounts of pain to the family (who are seeking the death penalty). Apparently the case was clear from the beginning and yet the murderer dragged it on for two years, I don't think he will receive much mercy in this regard.
 

Deleted member 32679

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 12, 2017
2,787
Good. He doesn't deserve life.
Edit- On second thought let him be broken in solitary confinement.
 
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Radd Redd

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,009
Give him life in prison and give him hard labor like digging ditches or something. He don't work he gets solitary confinement.
 
Vincent Alexander

Vincent Alexander

Member
Oct 26, 2017
19,760
I live nearby where it happened so this has been blowing up all day with folks I know. It's too bad he won't just confess and give the family closure.
 
sangreal

sangreal

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,890
I knew he attended her vigil but not that he used the opportunity to brag about killing her wtf
 
Azuran

Azuran

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,563
End him. Don't give him any appeals or anything. Just shoot him as soon as the sentence is given.

The world is better off without this person.
 
Ryuelli

Ryuelli

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,209
We're not the monsters, I'm against the death penalty. This person absolutely needs to spend the rest of their lives in prison though with no possibility of parole.
 

Jie Li

Alt account
Banned
Dec 21, 2018
742
I thought for sure the prosecution didn't have enough since the body was not found.
 
Strike

Strike

Member
Oct 25, 2017
27,361
Still not for it, but he definitely should never be allowed to be a part of society again.
 
The Adder

The Adder

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,119
Not opposed to the death penalty because I don't think there people who deserve to die. I'm opposed to it due to the fact that we get it wrong too often. And all convictions are supposed to be beyond a shadow of a doubt, so 'only in cases where you're really really sure' is antithetical to what our justice system is supposed to be. Also there's no way to do it that's actually humane.

I don't think they should bring back the death penalty for this dude. But he would have earned that death.
 
Forgotten in Space

Forgotten in Space

Member
Nov 30, 2017
281
Jesus what is this, MedievalEra? The support for the death penalty in this thread is quite the eye opener.

Also, that sounds like a very loose definition of 'abolished'.
 
OP
OP
Hierophant

Hierophant

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,196
Sydney
Seabag said:
Jesus what is this, MedievalEra? The support for the death penalty in this thread is quite the eye opener.

Also, that sounds like a very loose definition of 'abolished'.
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I think it's due to the dragging out of the case over two years when it was blatantly clear he was the murderer and the fact that he hasn't actually told anyone where the victims remains at plus high likelihood he tortured the victim for a long time before she died.
The family is seeking the death penalty too.
 
NinjaScooter

NinjaScooter

Member
Oct 25, 2017
54,164
Seabag said:
Jesus what is this, MedievalEra? The support for the death penalty in this thread is quite the eye opener.

Also, that sounds like a very loose definition of 'abolished'.
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It's why things like the death penalty, abortion, gun control, are such hot button issues, and issues that politicians can use to easily manipulate the population. People can claim to be as progressive and forward thinking all day long, until they let those pesky emotions get in the way.
 
Coffee

Coffee

Member
Oct 27, 2017
414
Malmö
From what I'm reading, the dude only offered to reveal the location of the body in exchange for life in prison, dude wants to live real bad.

I'm against the death penalty in general because I know the justice system is not perfect and it is often corrupt, but in this case? There is no room for doubt, no chance of him being innocent. Kill the fucker and be done with it.
 
NinjaScooter

NinjaScooter

Member
Oct 25, 2017
54,164
Haloid1177 said:
Doesn't seem like a fair equivalency when this dude's defense team literally is like "nah he did it."
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The point wasn't to make an equivalency between the circumstances behind the crimes.

The point is that if you are for the death penalty, you have to be all for it. There is no "Extra Guilty" status despite some of the mental gymnastics people use to try and come up with what scenarios they would be okay with the death penalty. Im sure the attorney's and the jury in the case I posted were certain they had their man. In the moment they probably would have been fine taking him behind the courthouse and putting a bullet in his head. My point is that I would rather let 1000 Brendt Christensen's serve life in prison with no parole if it meant one Vincente Benavides isn't murdered by the state for something they didn't do.
 
OP
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Hierophant

Hierophant

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,196
Sydney
NinjaScooter said:
It's why things like the death penalty, abortion, gun control, are such hot button issues, and issues that politicians can use to easily manipulate the population. People can claim to be as progressive and forward thinking all day long, until they let those pesky emotions get in the way.
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I mean being unemotional about something this disgusting is impossible, I feel so badly for the family and I can't imagine the kind of pain they're feeling, they can't even get the body to perform burial rites.
 

mrmoose

Member
Nov 13, 2017
21,190
Ryuelli said:
We're not the monsters, I'm against the death penalty. This person absolutely needs to spend the rest of their lives in prison though with no possibility of parole.
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What's the difference, though?

I can see arguing against the death penalty when there's any kind of doubt, but the guy confesses he did it. Life in prison without parole means that you don't expect him to be rehabilitated, or at least not to the point that you can let him out into society. So from that standpoint what's the difference besides having to house and feed him for the rest of his life?

However, if it's like CA being on death row means that you won't be executed and you get some kind of preferential treatment, which is even worse.
 
shaneo632

shaneo632

Weekend Planner
Member
Oct 29, 2017
29,008
Wrexham, Wales
Nah state-sponsored murder is bullshit no matter how terrible the person is. Not a fan.

Had no idea federal could overrule state sanctions on this. Crazy.
 
NinjaScooter

NinjaScooter

Member
Oct 25, 2017
54,164
Hierophant said:
I mean being unemotional about something this disgusting is impossible, I feel so badly for the family and I can't imagine the kind of pain they're feeling, they can't even get the body to perform burial rites.
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Getting emotional about the specific situation, and the people involved, is one thing. Using that emotion to decide how public policy and legislation is created is another.
 

anamika

Member
May 18, 2018
2,622
How can the death penalty be abolished if they bring it back and use it whenever they want?

This means it's not abolished and that they have just not used it till now.
 
Big-E

Big-E

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,169
mrmoose said:
What's the difference, though?

I can see arguing against the death penalty when there's any kind of doubt, but the guy confesses he did it. Life in prison without parole means that you don't expect him to be rehabilitated, or at least not to the point that you can let him out into society. So from that standpoint what's the difference besides having to house and feed him for the rest of his life?

However, if it's like CA being on death row means that you won't be executed and you get some kind of preferential treatment, which is even worse.
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That is where I am at with situations like this. If you believe everyone is redeemable and has the chance to change, then what they did for a crime should not really matter. Personally I think people should deserve a second chance, but I am not ready to extend that to all people. People like the one in the op are a waste of air and I think we should respect the wishes of the victims family.
 
Forgotten in Space

Forgotten in Space

Member
Nov 30, 2017
281
Coffee said:
From what I'm reading, the dude only offered to reveal the location of the body in exchange for life in prison, dude wants to live real bad.

I'm against the death penalty in general because I know the justice system is not perfect and it is often corrupt, but in this case? There is no room for doubt, no chance of him being innocent. Kill the fucker and be done with it.
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The possibility of wrongful execution is not the only, nor arguably even the strongest, argument against capital punishment.
 

anamika

Member
May 18, 2018
2,622
Okay, I just heard that news report - guy can get the death penalty because it's a federal case and not a state case. This makes sense.
 

sapien85

Banned
Nov 8, 2017
5,427
Why does this deserve death over others? The only people I think might deserve death are perpetrators of mass human rights violations, war crimes, genocides.
 
greelay

greelay

Member
Oct 26, 2017
154
Oheao said:
How can you get the death penalty if it's abolished? Like, it's not abolished then.
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I am also very confused. Are they suggesting that new legislation will be written to bring back the death penalty for this guy? I don't think I would agree with that decision. Not even for this guy.

anamika said:
Okay, I just heard that news report - guy can get the death penalty because it's a federal case and not a state case. This makes sense.
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Do they just arbitrarily decide who charges him between the state and federal?

Edit: I clearly know nothing.
 
NinjaScooter

NinjaScooter

Member
Oct 25, 2017
54,164
Coffee said:
From what I'm reading, the dude only offered to reveal the location of the body in exchange for life in prison, dude wants to live real bad.

I'm against the death penalty in general because I know the justice system is not perfect and it is often corrupt, but in this case? There is no room for doubt, no chance of him being innocent. Kill the fucker and be done with it.
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The problem is that it doesn't work that way outside of a fantasy land. There isn't levels of guilt.
 
Hero_of_the_Day

Hero_of_the_Day

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
17,347
I live here where this happened. It has been an insane story from the start when she first went missing.

But, yeah, I am still against the death penalty. Let him rot in prison for 50 years.
 
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