Brendt Christensen, Accused Of Murdering Chinese Scholar YingYing Zhang, Heads To Trial
The man charged with murder in the 2017 death of Chinese scholar Ying Ying Zhang is going to trial.
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The man charged with murder in the 2017 death of Chinese scholar Ying Ying Zhang is going to trial.
Prosecutors are trying to prove Christensen kidnapped and killed 26-year-old Yingying Zhang in 2017. The trial was originally scheduled for September 2017. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Pedro Flores took the witness stand last week to testify about his wildly lucrative business partnership with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
Pedro Flores told the jury that the brothers had face-to-face meetings with Guzman and another Sinaloa cartel leader, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, in Mexico in 2005 to begin negotiations for the cartel to use the pair's successful drug-dealing network covering Chicago, New York, Detroit and other large cities.
Opening statements are set to start Tuesday in the high-profile trial of alleged Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
The delay from a previously scheduled November trial was sought to give his lawyer more time to prepare.
A Cook County jury has convicted Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke of second-degree murder, 16 counts of aggravated battery, and acquitted him of one count of official misconduct in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014.
After a jury convicted Jason Van Dyke of second-degree murder and aggravated battery charges, his lead defense attorney said he expected the jury to convict the Chicago police officer of at least some charges.
Jason Van Dyke: fast facts
Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke's murder trial for killing Laquan McDonald is over for the week after four days of the defense presenting evidence.
A woman who called 911 about Laquan McDonald hours before he was shot and killed said he had asked to borrow her car even though she'd never met him, but said he never acted aggressively, and "seemed like he was a nice young guy."
Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke's defense team will be presenting evidence for a third day on Wednesday, though it's still unclear if the officer will testify on his own behalf in the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.
Defense attorneys for Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke showed jurors a 3D animation showing a recreation of the first few shots the officer fired at Laquan McDonald four years ago, in an effort to bolster his claim the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald was a justified act of self defense.
Van Dyke's defense team began presenting its case on Monday, and three witnesses testified about encounters with McDonald long before the shooting.
At the Jason van Dyke trial today, it may have sounded more like Laquan McDonald was on trial.
Defense attorneys started presenting evidence today at the murder trial of Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke, charged in the 2014 shooting death of Laquan McDonald.
Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke's defense attorneys will begin presenting evidence on Monday, following four days of testimony from witnesses for the prosecution in the shooting death of Laquan McDonald.
After four days of testimony, prosecutors rested their case Thursday against Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke, and his defense will begin presenting its first witnesses on Monday, seeking to convince jurors Van Dyke was justified when he shot and killed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014.
A forensic pathologist told jurors Laquan McDonald died of 16 gunshot wounds, before detailing each individual wound as she testified about the autopsy at Officer Jason Van Dyke's murder trial.
Officer Jason Van Dyke returns to court today for a final pretrial hearing, before jury selection begins tomorrow on first-degree murder charges in the death of Laquan McDonald.
Van Dyke wants the trial moved because of all the publicity; meantime, his face is plastered all over the Chicago Tribune as part of his interview with the newspaper.
For the first time since he shot and killed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald nearly four years ago, CPD Officer Jason Van Dyke is speaking out publicly, in a Chicago Tribune interview a week before his murder trial is set to start.
When Hadiya Pendleton walked into Harsh Park on an unassuming January afternoon five years ago, she could have never known the decision to hang out with friends would mean she would soon become the face of Chicago's gang violence problem.
Jurors convicted Micheail Ward of first-degree murder Thursday in the 2013 slaying of honor student Hadiya Pendleton, a say after a separate jury convicted getaway driver Kenneth Williams.
Jurors have begun deliberating first-degree murder charges against Micheail Ward, the alleged gunman in the 2013 slaying of honor student Hadiya Pendleton, one day after a separate jury convicted getaway driver Kenneth Williams.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
Indiana state officials on Friday continued to survey tornado damage in Lake Village, after two people were killed in Tuesday's storms, though strong winds made cleanup efforts that much more difficult.
The general manager of the Arlo Hotel in Chicago has lived many lives and had many careers, but she said her own growth goes hand-in-hand with mentoring other women.
A key City Council committee on Friday backed a $27 million settlement with the family of a mother of six killed in a crash during a high-speed police chase in 2017.
Shinnick's Pub on Chicago's South Side is the oldest Irish bar in Chicago, in operation since 1938.
A key City Council committee on Friday backed a $27 million settlement with the family of a mother of six killed in a crash during a high-speed police chase in 2017.
A federal judge has quashed a pair of grand jury subpoenas sent to the Federal Reserve Board as part of a criminal probe by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine briefed on Operation Epic Fury in Iran Friday.
The Senate failed for a fourth time to advance a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, with no deal in sight.
A new Iowa law bans local nondiscrimination protections on the basis of gender identity after the state became the first in the U.S. to roll back its civil rights code last year.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
It's become an annual March Madness tradition at CBS Chicago, pitting our city's best eateries in direct competition in a foodie bracket challenge. We did pizza, we've done Italian beef, we've done Chicago dogs. This year, we're taking flight with wings.
For Cook County residents hoping to lower their property tax bills, applications are open for exemptions.
Officials in the north Chicago suburb of Wilmette issued a warning Tuesday about scammers who are impersonating representatives of village departments.
The war with Iran is causing gas prices to surge, with motorists in Chicago and around the country guaranteed to feel the impact at the pump Monday morning.
A new Iowa law bans local nondiscrimination protections on the basis of gender identity after the state became the first in the U.S. to roll back its civil rights code last year.
Food containing norovirus may smell and taste normal but still cause serious illness if consumed, FDA warns.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced a $1.5 billion investment from biotherapeutics company CSL for a new plasma therapy manufacturing plant in Kanakee.
When a doctor was told there was no cure for his daughter's condition, he was motivated to transform not only her health, but the lives of thousands of others.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
Despite a rash of restaurant closures, veterans of the plant-based food business pushed back against prophecies of doom — and in one case argued that such closures notwithstanding, plant-based eating is only growing.
Two popular Chicago craft breweries – Half Acre Beer Co. and Maplewood Brewery & Distillery – announced on Tuesday they are merging to create a new "premier Chicago beverage company."
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced a $1.5 billion investment from biotherapeutics company CSL for a new plasma therapy manufacturing plant in Kanakee.
Capital One is laying off more than 1,100 workers at the former Discover headquarters in north suburban Riverwoods.
A new development at the southeast corner of Chicago's East Lakeview community would clear away a medical office building and replace it with a residential high-rise.
Comedy power couple Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally are starring in the Goodman Theatre's new musical coming this summer.
A play inspired by the story of Emmett Till has now been extended twice past its initial run at Collaboraction Theatre in Humboldt Park.
Jennifer Runyon, a Chicago native who became famous as an actress appearing in "Ghostbusters" and "Charles in Charge," died last week.
A woman was arrested on Sunday for firing multiple shots at the Beverly Hills home of Rihanna, Los Angeles Police Department officials say.
Actor and filmmaker Bruce Campbell told fans that he is in treatment for cancer and will cancel some upcoming public appearances.
More than 100 residents formed the Astoria Tower Tenants Association because of the living conditions. Under the guidance of a tenants' rights organization, some have withheld a portion of their rent.
CBS Chicago chief meteorologist Albert Ramon shares the latest forecast, which calls for some storms going into the next work week.
The Pentagon confirmed all six service members on board a U.S. military refueling tanker were killed when it crashed in Iraq after taking part in operations against Iran.
Our own Marie Saavedra went back to her high school to interview and moderate a discussion with CBS News Senior Correspondent Norah O'Donnell about her new book.
Indiana state officials on Friday continued to survey tornado damage in Lake Village, after two people were killed in Tuesday's storms, though strong winds made cleanup efforts that much more difficult.
Strong wind gusts tore through the Chicago area on Friday, knocking out power to thousands, taking down trees, and even tearing the roof off of a north suburban school.
The man killed in Aroma Park after an EF-3 tornado touched down in Kankakee County on Tuesday has been identified.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
Chicago is gearing up for a weekend full of St. Patrick's Day parades and citywide celebrations. Here's what you need to know.
Indiana state officials on Friday continued to survey tornado damage in Lake Village, after two people were killed in Tuesday's storms, though strong winds made cleanup efforts that much more difficult.
Attorneys for the family of a woman killed in a crash during a high-speed police chase in 2017 say officers involved failed to activate their body cameras or turned them off during the pursuit.
A new specialized unit is being created to prosecute domestic violence homicides in Cook County, as these killings surged 15% last year, even as overall violent crime declined across Chicago.
After a year of water bill complaints in Lisle, Illinois, the village board is officially moving forward with a plan to review those issues and possibly have the village take over for the private utility that supplies water to part of the village.
Two separate child abuse cases in Lake County, Illinois, are prompting questions about the roles schools play in identifying warning signs and alerting authorities.
A Chicago senior citizen said his phone has been ringing off the hook with hundreds of unwanted spam calls that have made his beloved landline virtually unusable. New efforts in Springfield could bring real relief.
Connor Bedard scored off a rebound off a post at 3:57 of overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 3-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth on Thursday night.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles said there was a common theme to the free agents they are bringing in this offseason, saying the team "wanted to get faster, more explosive" with guys that are "passionate about football."
Northwestern now has a seven-game winning streak against the Hoosiers.
Chicago's Jalen Smith converted two free throws with 1.4 seconds left in regulation to send the game into OT, and Tre Jones contributed 22 points for the Bulls
The Detroit Lions are losing another player, this time it's wide receiver Kalif Raymond, who is reportedly heading to the Chicago Bears.
The attacker rammed a vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield and opened fire, but he was the only one killed, law enforcement officials said.
A new specialized unit is being created to prosecute domestic violence homicides in Cook County, as these killings surged 15% last year, even as overall violent crime declined across Chicago.
A man was shot and killed on the street in the midday hours Wednesday in Chicago's West Garfield Park neighborhood.
Park rangers cited the four visitors, all from Illinois, for collecting and defacing park resources.
A woman has been charged in a road rage shooting that left someone injured this past weekend on the Dan Ryan Expressway.