Fund launched in murdered Chinese student's name

On Aug 7, the family said at a news conference that it "now understands that finding her may be impossible", but her father said it was still the family's No 1 wish for the remains to be located and taken home.

"If Yingying's remains are ever found, we will return to take her home to China, where she belongs," he said, adding that the family would let the authorities decide whether or not to search for them. No search has yet been carried out.

On Friday, a private ceremony was held for the family at the memorial garden, where a wooden box containing Zhang Yingying's personal items was buried.

"We hope it will be a solemn place of reflection to all who visit, a place to remember the joy Yingying brought to her family and to everyone she met during her life," her father said at the garden.

Numerous memorial events held on-and off-campus, and Christensen's closely watched trial, allowed the local community and outside world to learn more about Zhang Yingying, who was described by her family and friends as "inspiring, thoughtful and full of smiles".

"She is definitely the most innocent person I have ever met," Li Yanyu, a high school friend, said in a video played during the trial, which lasted nearly a month.

Zhang Yingying helped her mother with housework and took good care of her younger brother, Li said, and her parents described her as the "hope of the family".

Born and raised in a working-class family in Nanping, Fujian province, Zhang Yingying excelled at school, while developing a positive and caring personality.

Her father said she applied for scholarships and financial aid to ease the burden on the family.

Zhang was the first in her family to get a college education. She was a top student at Zhongshan University in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, where was an undergraduate, before going to Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School in Guangdong.

In April 2017, she arrived at the University of Illinois as a visiting scholar to conduct research on photosynthesis and crop productivity for one year. She was considering entering a doctoral program at the university with a view to becoming a professor back in China.

"She was always resolute and never gave up on her dream of scientific research or studying abroad," Wu Shuang, a graduate school friend, said in video testimony played at the trial.

Discussing Zhang Yingying's decision to further her studies in the US, Wu said, "Research on environmental protection is more advanced (in the US) than in China in some respects."

In footage played at the trial, Zhao Kaiyun, another friend from graduate school, said Zhang Yingying hoped to improve life for her family through her own efforts.