Zhang was last seen getting into Christensen’s car in June of 2017, and has not been heard from since. Christensen is standing trial in a federal courtroom in Peoria, 160 miles (260 km) southwest of Chicago, where attorneys are scheduled to make opening statements. The trial has drawn intense interest within the small college community where the alleged kidnapping took place. Zhang’s Chinese family traveled to the US after her disappearance and has been seen in court as trial proceedings began. Prosecutors intended to show the jury secret audio recordings of Christensen allegedly admitting to kidnapping Zhang.

Source: The Express Tribune June 12, 2019 17:15 UTC