Missing Chinese Scholar: Suspect's Girlfriend Recorded Him

CHAMPAIGN, IL — New court documents say a girlfriend of a 28-year-old man who's accused of kidnapping a University of Illinois Chinese scholar was so nervous secretly recording him on behalf of the FBI that she at least once fainted in front of him.

The account came in a pretrial motion filed by Brendt Christensen's lawyers Monday in Urbana. It asks a judge to exclude the June recordings from the upcoming trial on the kidnapping of 26-year-old Yingying Zhang. She is presumed dead.

The girlfriend described to agents how her heart was pounding before she "went into shock and passed out while talking to" Christensen.

Among the places where she recorded him was at a vigil for Zhang's family, friends and supporters amid the search for her. He was arrested the next day.

Christensen's attorneys are asking a judge to dismiss a main charge against him and change the location of his trial.

The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports that Christensen's attorneys filed 12 pretrial motions Monday, including six to exclude evidence they say was improperly obtained.

Christensen faces charges including kidnapping resulting in the death of 26-year-old Yingying Zhang. Her body has not been found. His attorneys argue that charge should be dismissed because prosecutors lack evidence Zhang was coerced or forced into Christensen's car.

Missing Scholar Sightings Reported: Accused Kidnapper's Lawyers

New Charges For Man Accused In Death Of Chinese Scholar

Accused University Of Illinois Kidnapper's Attorneys Withdraw From Case

Christensen's attorneys are asking that the Feb. 27 federal trial be moved from Urbana to Rock Island or Chicago. They cite what they call "inflammatory and inherently prejudicial pretrial publicity" about the case in the Urbana area.

Brendt Christensen/Macon County Sheriff's Office via AP File