Unexpected turn in murder trial

Security services

The university does have security services such as SafeRides and Safe-Walks, during which student patrols provide company to students and faculty at late hours.

Despite that, Tao said students are not necessarily frequent users because the services normally have a long waiting time.

If she had been in Zhang's place, "having to walk for miles to the other side of campus on a summer weekend and was approached by a UI student, offering a ride", she might have "gotten in his car without much hesitation", she said.

Yet thanks to the school's policy of requiring international single students to live in dorms for their freshman year, she was "kept away from incidents like this", she said.

Zhang Dian, the Columbia University student, said the case has made her more concerned about campus security.

"I remind myself to pay more attention to the surrounding environment when I'm walking on the street alone," she said. "And whenever I'm taking an Uber, I memorize the car's license plate and the driver's name, take a screenshot and send it to my friends."

Zhang Dian said she feels safe when she's on the Columbia University campus, but that the neighborhood outside the campus is not that safe.

"My suggestions to new students coming to the US for college would be to be on the alert all the time, and save the campus police's number at the very beginning of the semester," she said.

Tao said, "You become an easy target if you walk alone on the street," adding that international students should build a support system during their stay in the US.

She said that one day during her second year at UI, a stranger broke into her apartment when she was in the kitchen with her roommate and forgot to lock their door. The man refused to leave and blocked their way out.

Tao said she immediately called 911, and the police "came literally in less than two minutes with guns".

Zhao said, "I think it will disappoint everyone if the suspect is not sentenced to death," adding that he thinks that only when the suspect is sentenced to death, will the Chinese international student community regain its faith in the US criminal justice system.

"And I think it (the death penalty) will also serve as a warning to other people who would potentially commit such a crime," he said.

Zhang Yingying's family－father Zhang Ronggao, mother Ye Lifeng and brother Zhang Yangyang－live in China, but they made the trip to Illinois before the trial started and were in court every day for the trial last week.

"The defense position in court admitting that Christensen killed Yingying was a possible scenario that Mr. Wang (Zhidong) and I as the attorneys for the family discussed with them," said Steve Beckett, an attorney in Urbana who represents Zhang Yingying's family.

"However, mother, father, brother and boyfriend still must deal with this horrible tragedy by being there for Yingying every day in court during the trial."

Wang Zhidong, a lawyer helping Zhang Yingying's family, said: "In the past two years, they've been thinking about Yingying every single day. Knowing how gruesomely the suspect killed Yingying, they are furious and in pain."

Wang said the family wants the suspect to be sentenced to death to bring justice to their daughter.

"At the same time, they wish to find her as soon as possible and bring her back home," Wang added.