Unexpected turn in murder trial

Defense admits client's responsibility, but enters plea of not guilty

Every June for the past two years, memorial events have been held on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Students and community members gathered to show their compassion and, for some, their hope that Zhang Yingying would somehow still be alive.

Last fall, the school dedicated a memorial garden to Zhang near the spot where she went missing on June 9, 2017, just two months after she arrived in the United States from China. A stone was placed there, engraved with Zhang's name in both English and Chinese.