Originally thought calm case again waves, Zhang Yingying suspect refused to plead guilty, suspect ex-wife turned in court confessions, poor girl Yingying, where are you?!
Zhang Yingying's kidnapping in the United States has been affecting the hearts of countless people, we still do not want to believe that the girl in front of such a brilliant smile so lost contact.
In October, a U. S. General Assembly jury added the "kidnapping to death" charge to Zhang Yingying's suspect, Christensen, who could be sentenced to death or life imprisonment if convicted. But the suspect, Christensen, has consistently pleaded not guilty and insisted on pleading not guilty.
A few days ago, Zhang Yingying's ongoing hearings case still revolves around two key points: whether the case falls under "federal law or state law" and "whether the prosecution's evidence is legal."
And today, the case started to fluctuate again, Zhang Yingying case suspect ex-wife unexpectedly in court to retract confessions!
Zhang Yingying's suspect's ex-wife retracted her confession in court, claiming that FBI used herself while she was vulnerable.
According to the US < World Daily > report, Defendant Christensen (Brendt Christensen) 's ex-wife Michelle Zottman (Michelle Zortman), who was involved in the kidnapping and killing of Zhang Yingying, testified in court on the 18th, refuting FBI's previous testimony that she had "obtained her consent to search the apartment." And FBI used her when she was weak.
When testifying on Urbana's pre-trial hearings, Zottman, who was divorced from Christensen and returned to his family name, said that when agents arrived at the apartment around 11:45 on June 14, 2017, he was shocked when Christensen went to open the door. And he followed behind to see who he was talking to.
Zottman said she was naked at the time, trying to hide herself with both hands, and then quickly went back to the bedroom and put on her robe on her own. She also mentioned that the agents flashed with flashlights, adding to the horrendous atmosphere.
This is in direct contradiction to FBI's testimony.
FBI said Zottman initially refused to wear clothes, stood there with his hands stretched out, and finally agreed to wear a nightgown. The F.B.I. also said she was accompanied by a female agent named Catherine Tenaglia for security reasons. And checked the robe for any potential weapons.
In addition, Zottman said agents searched her apartment before getting her to sign a consent form. Asked if he objected to the search when the consent was signed, Zottman replied, "it's all done, how to object, and didn't tell yourself to refuse."
After that, prosecutor subpoenaed Agent FBI Andrew? Huckstadt served as a rebuttal witness.
Huckstadt denied Zottman's testimony, saying he and other agents had not searched her apartment before getting permission and said it was "absolutely not." Not only that, the agent also said that on the day of Zhang's disappearance, the suspect's ex-wife leave Champagne rented an apartment in Madison, Wisconsin, and filled the car with gas before going out, but returned home and found that the gas was half less. And never washed the vehicles, in those days have been washed.
Prosecutors on court questioned Zortman's testimony as a defense witness, but Zottman insisted that "he was telling the truth."
Wang Zhidong, a Chinese in Zhang Yingying's case, who appeared in court on the 18th, said that we will soon know whether the judge will accept the evidence.
Prior to this, the defence claimed that FBI was unconstitutional and that several cases of evidence gathering were illegal.
In addition, in the hearings held on the 17th, defense lawer also proposed FBI illegal search of suspect cells.
On December 14, prosecutors and defense debated on hearings whether Zhang's case was under federal law or state law. Christensen, as defendant, also attended the hearings.
And while (Livingston County jail), the Livingston County prison cell held by Christensen leave, was present at the scene of hearings, the defence's urgent motion stated that it was at this time, without an appropriate search warrant, that FBI had taken the opportunity to do so. Christensen's cell was searched and his living space checked.
When Christensen returned to his cell, he found that his belongings had been checked and his personal belongings searched. But the defence also said there was no clear evidence that any items had been confiscated.
Defense lawer also said that in addition to searching defendant's cell and personal belongings, FBI interviewed several fellow inmates living with Christensen, who entered the cell through the fire door and carried camera equipment.
In response, lawer pointed out that FBI violated the fourth and sixth amendments of the United States constitution and violated Christensen's rights, and proposed in the motion that the interview dialogue recorded by FBI be prohibited as evidence of Christensen's identification.
Note:
Constitution's fourth Amendment, (Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution), is part of the United States rights Act, which aims to prohibit unwarranted searches and seizures and to require reasonable support for the issuance of search and seizure warrants.
The sixth Amendment of the constitution is part of the famous rights Act, which mainly guarantees the rights that defendant should have in the litigation.
Earlier, the offending party believed that FBI illegally confiscated evidence from his apartment and that his girlfriend was "forced to carry recording equipment" in an attempt to prove that the evidence was illegal in an attempt to obstruct the trial.
Zhang Yingying's family: can't understand American law, but respect
So far, Zhang Yingying case has been held pre-trial hearings.
The hearings on 14 December were on the jurisdiction of the Federal law, and on 17 and 18 December on the procedural legality of obtaining criminal evidence by the police.
Other matters, such as jury selection, were also mentioned in the discussions on December 18, including the schedule of the case. The judge concluded that the ruling on the motions would be delivered within two weeks.
At present, the formal trial date is still April 2, 2019.
Zhang Yingying case lawer Wang Zhidong said that the case hearings situation has timely informed Zhang Yingying family. Although Zhang Yingying's family indicated that they did not understand and were dissatisfied with the over-emphasis placed on procedures in the criminal justice process in the United States and that the trial had been postponed, they expressed respect for the judicial proceedings in the United States and hoped that the trial would be held as scheduled. In the end, a fair trial was achieved.
After all, for Zhang Yingying's parents, there is nothing more painful than losing her daughter.
If a person's life from opening to ending, it is like a film, then Zhang Yingying disappeared, Zhang mother's film, was cropped off.
All day long with tears, the body gradually thin, everything related to the daughter will be linked to the mother's thoughts. Every little bit of Yingying in the family seems to be the "cruel torture" to the mother of the chapter.
She often walked into her daughter's bedroom, saw the familiar decorations, opened her mouth to call her daughter, but found it impossible to respond, so she sat lonely back to the living room.
Zhang Yingying life photo
Even if occasionally walk out of the house to breathe, see other girls carrying schoolbags, wearing framed glasses and even put up the ball head, can make Zhang mother trance for a long time.
More than a year ago, she was still talking to her mother and saying, "Why are you busy, why are you not looking for a video call?" daughter, so no news.
In the past year or so, the Zhang mother tried to avoid the word "dead" and "dead body" every time she mentioned her daughter. She was afraid of having a sore nose and was afraid of missing, but even if she avoided it, the smiling face of her daughter appeared in her mind. Tears again climbed up the mother's cheek.
"the bad guys haven't said where she is, I still have hope for her to live," she repeated over and over again. "my daughter is so kind, she won't be bad, she won't hurt."
Although the father seemed calmer, he always blamed himself when he mentioned his daughter's trip to the United States. "I always felt that I had not really protected my daughter. I was in favour of her going to the United States, but it was all my fault."
To his father, if his life could be reversed, he would have prevented his daughter from going to the United States to communicate, and he must have tied his daughter to his side.
Even if nothing can be done in a lifetime, at least it will be safe and healthy.
I hope this time justice will not be absent.
Over the past year or so, it's probably just a seasonal change for most of us, and for the Zhang family, it's a "life like a year," and the story of Zhang Yingying, a girl, has caused heartache to all of us. She sincerely hopes that American law will give Zhang Yingying and her family and those who care about her a fair trial.
We will keep an eye on the latest developments in this matter, because the words Zhang Yingying are not just a name, an event, but a fresh life, a living student like you and me. In the same sentence, justice will never be absent.
At the same time, I also hope that you will not forget the girl Zhang Yingying.