She was running late and sent a text message to the leasing agent at 1:39 p.m. to inform them that she would arrive at approximately 2:10 p.m.[2] After riding on one bus, she exited at 1:52 p.m. and tried to transfer to another.

[2] The MTD stated it is against company policy to stop for pedestrians on the wrong side of the street, as to do so would encourage them to run into oncoming traffic.

[10] Zhang then walked to another bus stop a few blocks away at the corner of North Goodwin Avenue and West Clark Street, directly in front of the university's PBS radio and television station, WILL.

[11] As the hours passed, Zhang's friends, aware of her errand and expecting her to return quickly, grew increasingly worried.

[13] The university's large Chinese student population helped coordinate search efforts on and around campus.

[2] On June 15, local police and FBI investigators questioned Christensen and executed a search warrant for his car.

[2][26] During questioning on June 15, Christensen admitted that he had given an Asian female a ride,[11] but said that he dropped her off after only a few blocks when a wrong turn caused her to panic.

Agents took possession of computers and a cellphone belonging to Christensen, and subsequently sought and obtained a federal search warrant for a forensic examination of the phone.

An affidavit filed by an FBI agent said that in the audio recording, Christensen told his girlfriend he had brought Zhang back to his apartment and held her there against her will.

[30][11][31] The FBI report noted that in April, before the alleged kidnapping, Christensen used his cellphone to access the sexual fetish website Fetlife, visiting forums such as "Abduction 101".

He told the court that Christensen had attended a vigil held for Zhang on June 29, where he had described "the characteristics of his ideal victim", and had pointed out those in the crowd who matched them.

[27] Christensen's attorney Evan Bruno argued that he should be released on bail due to his lack of criminal record and his ties to the local community.

The indictment alleges that Christensen "willfully and unlawfully seized, confined, inveigled, decoyed, kidnapped, abducted, and carried away" Zhang "and otherwise held her for his own benefit and purpose, and used and caused to be used a means, facility and instrumentality of interstate commerce, namely, a Motorola cellular telephone and a Saturn Aura motor vehicle, in committing and in furtherance of the commission of the offense".

[9] After picking up Zhang later that morning and taking her back to his apartment, Christensen choked, raped, and stabbed her in his bedroom before dragging her to his bathroom where he beat her with a baseball bat and decapitated her.

[39][40] Following the trial, prosecutors revealed information about Zhang's remains that Christensen divulged through his attorneys in November 2018 under an immunity agreement.

The dumpster in which Christensen placed Zhang's remains was emptied three days later and the contents taken to a private landfill in Vermilion County, compacted at least twice, spread over an area fifty yards wide, and subsequently buried under thirty feet of garbage.

In early December 2019, Christensen reported to USP McCreary in Pine Knot, Kentucky to begin serving his life sentence.

[44] On October 11, 2018, a memorial garden was dedicated in honor of Zhang at the corner of North Goodwin Avenue and West Clark Street.

[50] The case was re-enacted as "Far From Home" on the Investigation Discovery television network true crime series See No Evil in season 6, episode 5 (2020).

[51][52] The case was featured on the Oxygen television network true crime series Final Moments in season 2, episode 4 titled "Missed Bus" (2023).