Judge denies sentencing delay in Chinese scholar case

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — A judge has denied a request to delay sentencing for a former University of Illinois student convicted in the kidnapping and murder of a visiting Chinese scholar. The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports U.S. District Judge James Shadid issued the ruling Wednesday.
Jurors last week convicted Brendt Christensen in the 2017 killing of 26-year-old Yingying Zhang. His sentencing begins Monday. Jurors will decide if he’ll receive life in prison or the death penalty.
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