Mother Of Man Who Killed Chinese Scholar Begs For His Life
The mother of a former University of Illinois student convicted of killing a Chinese scholar told the jury deciding his fate that it would be horrible if he is put to death.
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The mother of a former University of Illinois student convicted of killing a Chinese scholar told the jury deciding his fate that it would be horrible if he is put to death.
Brendt Christensen has shown very little emotion in this trial, but on Wednewsday, he broke down in tears and put his head down in his hand while his father also fought through tears in tears during his testimony.
A federal judge will allow jurors at the sentencing hearing of a former University of Illinois doctoral student to watch videos made by the mother and friends of the Chinese scholar he was convicted of kidnapping, torturing and killing.
Authorities say a Peoria man died after a 40-foot tree limb fell and struck him during a storm.
Brendt Christensen, who was found guilty Monday in the kidnapping and killing of Yingying Zhang, spoke about harming others months before he killed Zhang.
The remains of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen have been removed from St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York and are on their way to central Illinois.
Michelle Zortman described her ex-husband as a man with a bad drinking problem that derailed their marriage.
A central Illinois man who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of another man will likely spend the rest life behind bars after a judge sentenced him to 70 years in prison.
A federal prosecutor has shared with jurors grisly details of how they claim a former University of Illinois doctoral student kidnapped a visiting scholar from China, then brutally beat and killed her.
Opening statements are set for Wednesday in the death-penalty trial of a former University of Illinois graduate student charged with kidnapping, torturing and killing a visiting Chinese scholar, a case closely watched by Chinese students across the U.S.
A jury has been selected in the trial of a former graduate student accused of kidnapping and killing a University of Illinois scholar from China.
A lawyer for a Chinese family attending the U.S. trial of an ex-University of Illinois student charged with killing their daughter says he has been explaining to them how the American justice system works.
State climate experts say Illinois had the third wettest May on record and it was the sixth-consecutive month with above-average rainfall.
Bradley University posted a job opening for an Assistant Director of Diversity and Inclusion, however, the the job description stated the candidate "must be able to access non-ADA compliant building."
Angela Farnan has helped care for the tiniest patients in Peoria for more than 30 years, but when one mother said she could no longer care for her newborn, the pediatric intensive care nurse went above and beyond.
U.S. bishops are holding a retreat outside Chicago for "prayer and reflection" upon the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church.
Their son, Jose Ramirez, has also been charged in their deaths. The 21-year-old allegedly beat and stabbed them to death.
The bodies of Bradley University professor Susan Brill De Ramirez and her husband, Antonio Ramirez Barron were found near the Spoon River Bridge in Henry County, Ill., authorities said.
Authorities say a Peoria police officer fatally shot a 19-year-old man who fled from a vehicle after a traffic stop in the central Illinois city.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in Peoria late Sunday alleges officers shot Edward Russell Jr. at least 17 times as he lifted a garage door at the family's Peoria home with both hands. He was a suspect in a bank robbery.
A 16-year-old male has been charged with murder for a shooting that left a Bradley University student from Chicago and a Peoria man dead.
Federal law enforcement officials on Thursday executed search warrants at three Caterpillar locations, including the corporate headquarters in Peoria.
Senior Chief Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens was the first U.S. combat casualty since President Donald Trump took office in January.
After nearly a century in central Illinois, Caterpillar Inc. has abandoned plans to build a new headquarters complex in Peoria, and has announced it is moving its corporate offices to Chicago.
The U.S. Navy sailor who died over the weekend in a raid against al-Quaida has been identified as a sailor from Peoria.
Kevin Jackson was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent 22 years in prison before he was freed. Now he has realized his dream by starting a landscaping business. But his quest to be declared innocent continues.
Police in Lake Geneva say an experienced boat operator was overcome by at least two massive waves, causing the boat to capsize.
Sam Antonacci had three of Chicago's four hits.
Matthew Boyd pitched six shutout innings, Alex Bregman drove in two runs and the Chicago Cubs beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 Tuesday night.
Chicago police said the victim, a 57-year-old man identified by family as Kevin Barlow, was shot in the chest outside the CTA 98th Street rail maintenance facility on June 29.
A key Chicago City Council committee has joined the growing chorus calling for U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros to resign.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday that the city is falling short of its revenue predictions for 2026.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has over the past two days attacked three commercial vessels that were traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
The top Republicans in the Senate spoke with the Kentucky Republican by phone this week, according to their spokespeople.
Rahm Emanuel is viewed as a potential Democratic presidential candidate and has been a longtime defender of Israel.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
An Illinois law banning "swipe fees" on taxes and tips — already delayed twice by lawmakers — appears to be on life support after a federal judge that once permitted it issued a permanent injunction against it this week.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
The north Chicago suburb of Glenview became the latest Illinois municipality this week to confirm mosquitoes testing positive for the West Nile virus this year.
Environmental and community groups are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to act on a petition challenging U.S. Steel Gary Works operating permit renewal.
In the four years since Roe v. Wade was overturned and Illinois became a destination for abortion care, Illinois providers and advocates have rebuilt the state's infrastructure to support the tens of thousands of people who travel to the state for abortion services every year.
June is National Aphasia Awareness Month, raising awareness of a disorder that affects a person's ability to speak, write, and understand both spoken and written language.
Chicago Soul Café opened Monday at 6248 S. St. Lawrence Ave.
The Chicago Bears this weekend said they are assessing land at Wolf Lake Terminals in Hammond, Indiana, for a possible new stadium.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
Daley's Restaurant, known as Chicago's oldest, has served Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood for more than 130 years.
Walgreens is set to close in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood on Thursday, and there's growing concern about where families will get their medications.
Nikki Glaser, Michelle Wolf, Ali Siddiq and Bert Kreischer are among the comedians coming to the city to perform from Nov. 5 to Nov. 15.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were married as they celebrated their wedding with hundreds of guests Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Renowned singer-songwriter and Chicago-area native John Prine will be honored with a mural at the Old Town School of Folk Music in the Lincoln Square community.
Victor Willis, lead singer of the disco group Village People, whose hit "Y.M.C.A." became a fixture at rallies for President Trump, has died at the age of 74, his wife and the band said.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding plans include a rehearsal dinner and a late-night celebration at Madison Square Garden in New York City, according to sources familiar with the security planning.
Nearly seven million customers of 23andMe had their personal information exposed. The company initially paid nearly $15 million and later filed for bankruptcy.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 141 cases of cyclosporiasis, including 59 acquired domestically and 62 reported after travel outside the U.S. At least 17 other states have also reported outbreaks.
Highs on Wednesday will run in the upper 80s to near 90 degrees. Chief Meteorologist Albert Ramon is tracking the latest in First Alert Weather.
Kevin Jackson walked out of prison in early 2025 after spending two decades fighting to prove his innocence. He’s started a landscaping business and wants to expand and hire a team, but worries that something as simple as a background check could block his plans.
The bodies of three kids—ages 10, 7 and 6—were recovered inside the cabin of a sunken boat. Seven others on board survived. All at the time were wearing life vests, according to police.
Kevin Jackson was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent 22 years in prison before he was freed. Now he has realized his dream by starting a landscaping business. But his quest to be declared innocent continues.
The suit alleges the home did not properly supervise Emily Kasanga during meal time, leading to her death.
Chicago police said the victim, a 57-year-old man identified by family as Kevin Barlow, was shot in the chest outside the CTA 98th Street rail maintenance facility on June 29.
Police in Lake Geneva say an experienced boat operator was overcome by at least two massive waves, causing the boat to capsize.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting a "higher-than-average" number of cyclosporiasis cases in the state amid outbreaks in other states nationwide.
Kevin Jackson was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent 22 years in prison before he was freed. Now he has realized his dream by starting a landscaping business. But his quest to be declared innocent continues.
The weeds keep growing, and the complaints keep piling up, but neighbors on one street in the Washington Heights community on Chicago's South Side say nothing is changing.
City officials unveil underground stormwater storage units to reduce flooding on the West Side
Crown Point Mayor Peter Land says that flooding has been an issue for years and that the construction plan has been in the works for almost 10 years.
About 13,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries in 2025, and with America's 250 birthday celebration about to start, doctors worry even more people could get hurt this year.
Sam Antonacci had three of Chicago's four hits.
Matthew Boyd pitched six shutout innings, Alex Bregman drove in two runs and the Chicago Cubs beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 Tuesday night.
The digital billboard teases Bears football games and other advertisements.
Fans saw the team's chances of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in 24 years crushed on Monday night in their knockout match against Belgium.
Belgium defeated the U.S. Men's National Team 4-1 on Monday night in the World Cup round of 16 knockout match in Seattle, ending the Americans' hopes of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in 24 years.
Two people were shot, and one of them died, in an apartment in the north Chicago suburb of Mundelein on Tuesday morning.
Mexico said it is investigating whether its sovereignty was violated by the United States in the 2024 capture of drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.
A man has been arrested and charged in a shooting that left another man dead last fall in Chicago's Auburn Gresham community.
Delphine Jubillar went missing in southern France in December 2020 at the height of the COVID pandemic and her body was never found.
Lake County, Illinois, sheriff's deputies and a K9 were credited with stopping a burglary in progress Sunday night.
