Chicago - A federal judge on Monday
ordered an Illinois man charged with abducting a Chinese scholar
held without bond in a first court appearance that drew hundreds
of demonstrators with signs calling for justice.
Brendt Christensen, 28, was arrested by FBI agents in
Champaign, Illinois, on Friday on charges of kidnapping in the
disappearance of Yingying Zhang, 26, on June 9, according to
University of Illinois Police. Authorities believe she is no
longer alive.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement that agents
overheard Christensen while he was under surveillance explaining
that he kidnapped Zhang. A search of his cell phone found he had
visited a website that included threads on "Perfect abduction
fantasy" and "planning a kidnapping," according to the criminal
complaint.
This undated photo provided by the University of Illinois Police Department shows Yingying Zhang. FBI is investigating the disappearance of Zhang as a kidnapping. Picture: Courtesy of the University of Illinois Police Department via AP
On June 9, Zhang went to sign a lease for an apartment in
Urbana, but missed a connecting mass transit bus, according to
an affidavit. As she waited for the next bus, a motorist in a
black Saturn Astra pulled up and she got in the vehicle.
Christensen's appearance Monday in US District Court in
Urbana drew crowds of supporters, including some holding signs
reading "We are with you Yingying."
People line up outside the federal courthouse for first appearance of Brendt Christensen, the suspect in the kidnapping of Yingying Zhang, a Chinese scholar at the University of Illinois. (Picture: Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette via AP
Crowds also marched in support last week during the search
for Zhang, a scholar in photosynthesis and crop productivity who
came to study at the University of Illinois two months ago.
Yingying Zhang's father Ronggao Zhang, left, and her friend Xiaolin Hou carry a banner as community members join together to walk for Yingying, a Chinese scholar who went missing three weeks ago. File picture: Holly Hart/The News-Gazette via AP
Christensen's attorney, Evan Bruno, said that his client had
not been indicted.
"He's presumed innocent of these charges," he said. "There's
a lot that the public doesn't know."
If convicted, Christensen could face life in prison,
according to the criminal complaint.
The federal court clerk's office said a detention hearing
will be held on Wednesday and a preliminary hearing was set for
July 14.
The case has rattled the Chinese community in the area. The
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign had more than 5,600
Chinese students enrolled as of last fall, according to
university data.
"We just want to seek justice. This is a very special case.
We are extremely concerned about the safety and security of the
Chinese community," Charlie Li, president of the Chinese
American Community of Central Illinois, told the News-Gazette in
Urbana on Monday.
Her father and other family members traveled from China to
Champaign to join in the search for Zhang.