Peoria, IL (KTRS) A guilty verdict is handed down for a former University of Illinois doctoral student charged in the slaying of a visiting scholar from China.

Brendt Christensen was convicted Monday, and will now be sentenced in the 2017 kidnapping and stabbing death of Yingying Zhang.

There is no death penalty in Illinois, but this is a federal case, so capital punishment is an option.

Zhidong Wang represents Zhang’s family. He told reporters shortly after the verdict that the family has already asked prosecutors to request the death penalty.