This week on LOTW, Becky and Bevy discuss a case that details the dangers of misplaced trust, perceived authority, and how easily an ordinary moment can turn irreversible.

Yingying Zhang was 26 years old. She had traveled from China to the United States to pursue her PhD, arriving with plans, discipline, and a clear sense of purpose. In the summer of 2017, she was living in Urbana-Champaign, navigating a new country while focused on her studies and her future.

On June 9th, Yingying set out to view an apartment she was considering renting. It was a routine errand — one she told friends about, one she expected to return from. She sent messages. She followed her schedule. Nothing about that afternoon suggested it would be the last time anyone would hear from her.

When Yingying didn’t come back, concern grew quickly. What first appeared to be a missed appointment became something far more serious, exposing how easily trust, timing, and chance can intersect — and how vulnerable someone can be in an unfamiliar place.

Sources

• Anoeses
  https://anoeses.com

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
  https://www.fbi.gov

• Illinois Central District Court
  https://www.ilcd.uscourts.gov

• Nanaimo News Now
  https://nanaimonewsnow.com

• Sixth Tone
  https://www.sixthtone.com

• U.S. Department of Justice
  https://www.justice.gov

• Vice
  https://www.vice.com

• WCIA News
  https://www.wcia.com

• WTTW News
  https://news.wttw.com

• Wiley Online Library
  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com

• Wikipedia
  https://en.wikipedia.org

• YouTube
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_eKy0zyAJQ