Family Of U Of I Scholar Yingying Zhang Believes Her Body May Be In Vermilion County Landfill
A stone engraved with Yingying Zhang's name in both English and Chinese in a memorial garden dedicated in Urbana at the site where she was last seen. Christine Herman/Illinois Public Media
The lawyer representing the family of U of I visiting scholar Yingying Zhang says they've received information about where her body may be.
In a statement, Attorney Steve Beckett said the information suggests Zhang’s body could be in a landfill in Vermilion County.
Beckett said Zhang’s family was notified by prosecutors that the defense team for Brendt Christensen provided the information under a grant of immunity.
Christensen was recently convicted of kidnapping and killing Zhang in 2017. He’s serving a life sentence.
It is unclear at this point whether landfills in Vermilion County have already been searched or will be searched.
Beckett said the Zhang family cannot vouch for the truthfulness of the information they received. Illinois Public Media has not independently verified the statements.
A press conference initially scheduled by the family’s attorney for today has been postponed to next week.
Links
- Memorial Service Planned For Yingying Zhang
- Killer Of Yingying Zhang Sentenced To Life In Prison
- Yingying Zhang’s Family, Loved Ones, Testify In Christensen Trial
- Prosecutors Say Christensen Deserves ‘Extraordinary Punishment’ For Zhang Murder
- Christensen Found Guilty Of The Murder, Kidnapping Of Yingying Zhang
- Ex-Girlfriend Of Accused Killer Of Yingying Zhang Continues Testimony