CHICAGO, July 20 -- Brendt Christensen, the accused kidnapper of Chinese scholar Zhang Yingying, pleaded not guilty to charges against him on Thursday during his arraignment at a federal court in Midwest U.S. state of Illinois.
The arraignment in federal courthouse in Urbana of Illinois lasted not more than five minutes, and Christensen broke his silence, speaking some time during the proceeding.
As expected, Christensen pleaded not guilty in his third appearance in less than three weeks in U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric Long's crowded courtroom.
In a statement, Christensen's attorney Anthony Bruno said: "he's demanded a jury trial and he plans to persist in his plea of not guilty."
Asked about the worldwide attention the case has received, Bruno said: "bad things happen everywhere. Nowhere else in the U.S. is a person from China more welcome."
Bruno said the case could go on a year or more.
U.S. lawyer Wang Zhidong, who has been offering legal support to the Zhang family on a voluntary basis, said outside the court, "this result is not unexpected and the case enters into another stage."
Christensen's next pretrial hearing was set for 2:45 p.m. on August 28, and his trial date is set for Sept. 12.
FBI officials also say they don't believe that Zhang is alive at this point. Law enforcement agencies are still searching for Zhang's location.
Zhang, a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), was last seen entering a black Saturn Astra car driven by 28-year-old Brendt Christensen on June 9.
Police arrested Christensen for kidnapping 26-year-old Zhang on June 30, but Zhang's location is still unknown.
The FBI believes Zhang is deceased, based on facts presented in court, court documents and other facts uncovered during the ongoing investigation.
Christensen was indicted on July 12 by a federal grand jury on a criminal charge related to Zhang's abduction. He has been remaining in custody since then.
2013职称英语综合类的阅读理解习题及答案3
2013职称英语综合类的阅读理解通关模拟题1
2013职称英语综合类的阅读理解考前强化题4
2014年职称英语综合类阅读理解的每日一练第14天
2013年职称英语考试综合类的阅读通关指导9
2013年职称英语考试综合类的阅读通关指导5
2013职称英语综合类的阅读理解考前强化题6
2014年职称英语综合类的阅读理解练习题5
2012职称英语考试理工类的阅读理解模拟题3
2013职称英语综合类的阅读理解备考练习题1
2013职称英语综合类的A级阅读理解模拟题2
2013职称英语综合类的阅读理解习题及答案1
2013年职称英语考试综合类的阅读通关指导1
2014年职称英语综合类的阅读理解练习题4
2014年职称英语综合类的练习题之阅读理解2
2013职称英语综合类的阅读理解备考练习题3
2013职称英语综合类的阅读理解备考练习题5
2013职称英语综合类的阅读理解考前强化题()
2013职称英语综合类的A级阅读理解模拟题3
2013年职称英语考试综合类的阅读通关指导12
2013职称英语综合类的B级真题及答案阅读理解
2014年职称英语综合类的练习题之阅读理解8
2013年职称英语考试综合类的阅读通关指导6
2013年职称英语考试综合类的阅读通关指导2
2013职称英语综合B真题阅读理解的原文第三十篇
2013职称英语综合类的阅读理解考前强化题3
2013年职称英语考试综合类的阅读通关指导3
2013职称英语综合类的B级阅读理解模拟题2
2013年职称英语考试综合类的阅读通关指导7
2013职称英语综合类的阅读理解考前强化题1
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |