News

Judge refuses to toss evidence in China scholar's kidnapping

Posted January 15, 2019 6:00 am

The Associated Press

URBANA, Ill. (AP) - A federal judge in central Illinois has denied defense motions to suppress evidence in the case of a 28-year-old man charged in the kidnapping and killing of a University of Illinois scholar from China.

The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports Tuesday the judge accepted FBI assertions that agents obtained Brendt Christensen's then-wife's voluntary consent to search their apartment as they entered.

Investigators went there in 2017, two weeks before Christensen was charged in Yingying Zhang's kidnapping in Urbana. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, saying Christensen also tortured the 26-year-old. Her body hasn't been found.

The now ex-wife, Michelle Zortman, has said agents searched before she consented. She's not accused of wrongdoing.

Judge James Shadid also refused to toss jail recordings of Christensen, saying prosecutors can use them at the April trial.

___

Information from: The News-Gazette, http://www.news-gazette.com

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers Illinois News Region

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.