Federal public defenders trying to save Brendt Christensen from the death penalty presented emotional testimony from character witnesses Wednesday --- including the defendant’s father.
An FBI forensic expert told jurors that DNA evidence indicates that University of Illinois visiting scholar Yingying Zhang was inside the bedroom of Brendt Christensen, who is accused of killing her.
Opening statements took an unexpected turn, in the Brent Christensen capital murder trial in Peoria Wednesday. Federal public defender George Taseff said that Christensen is responsible for the death of University of Illinois visiting scholar Yingying Zhang, despite his “not guilty” plea.
Jury selection moves into its second day Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Peoria, in the capital murder trial of the man accused in the disappearance of University of Illinois visiting scholar Yingying Zhang.
