Chinese students and scholars protest outside a court in Urbana, Illinois, on July 3, 2017 demanding justice for Zhang Yingying, who is missing and is believed dead. Photo: VCG

The trial of Brendt Christensen, who is charged with kidnapping and murdering visiting Chinese scholar 26-year-old Zhang Yingying in 2017, is scheduled to start on June 3 at the federal courthouse in Peoria, the US. 

Zhang's family's Urbana-based attorney, Steve Beckett said that there will be three phases in the trail - jury selection, conviction and sentencing, if the jury agrees that the defendant is guilty, thepaper.cn reported Monday.  

The list of jury candidates has been reduced to 400 people, who will be screened after the trial opens. 

Lawyers from both sides will ask the candidates questions under the supervision of the judges to select and set up a jury without any bias. 

It will take about one to two weeks to lock down the final list of 12 jury members and six preparatory jurors, the report said. 

In US federal criminal trials, the jury must reach a unanimous decision to find the suspect guilty. 

As the case involves a crime of kidnapping, there are two possibilities of penalty for a guilty verdict, either life imprisonment or a capital sentence.

The jury then will have to decide whether or not to apply the death penalty, according to US federal law, the report said. 

It is noted that the prosecutor in this case is seeking the death sentence. 

Zhang's family has arrived in the US and will take part in the trial, the report said.

The case will be live streamed to Urbana, Illinois, according to CBS Chicago on April 18.

Christensen's trial was moved from Urbana, where the case happened, to Peoria, citing courthouse space and docket management issues, the local News Gazette reported on December 6, 2018.

In April 2017, Zhang went to study at the University of Illinois, and lost contact on June 9 after taking an illegal taxi

On June 30, 2017, Christensen was arrested and charged with kidnapping and murdering Zhang.

Timeline for Zhang Yingying case

○ June 3 — Jury selection set to begin

○ May 14 — 175 potential jurors for Christensen trial eliminated; pool now at 476

○ April 30 — Judge approves Christensen's withdrawal of mental-health defense

○ April 17 — Judge OKs streaming video of Stevens Point native's trial in Chinese scholar death

○ February 6 — Prosecutors: Evidence of handprint-shaped bloodstains found in Christensen's apartment

○ December 6, 2018 — Christensen trial moved to Peoria

○ August 16, 2018 — Federal judge no longer involved in Christensen case

○ April 4, 2018 — 300 days after Zhang disappeared, UI scholar hasn't been forgotten

○ February 12, 2018 — Trial for man charged with killing Chinese scholar in US delayed

○ January 19, 2018 — Death penalty sought for man charged with kidnapping and death of Chinese scholar in US

○ October 11, 2017 — Suspect in kidnapping Chinese scholar pleads not guilty

○ August, 22, 2017 — Family of missing Chinese scholar asks US President for help

○ July 20, 2017 — Accused kidnapper of Chinese scholar pleads not guilty

○ July 12, 2017 — Suspect charged with kidnapping Chinese scholar Yingying Zhang indicted

○ July 12, 2017 — UI's surveillance cameras key to missing scholar's case

○ July 5, 2017 — At vigil for missing Chinese scholar, suspect talked about "ideal victim," prosecutor says

○ June 27, 2017 — Missing Chinese student raises question over FBI's efficiency

○ June 22, 2017 — FBI: Search for missing Chinese scholar is agency's priority

○ June 19, 2017 — Disappearance of Chinese scholar Zhang Yingying in Illinois probed as kidnapping. FBI Offers $10k Reward for Information

Global Times