Episode 15:
"Like Human Zombie" Sick Fetish Behind Chinese Woman's Disappearance

In June 2017, 26-year-old Chinese researcher Zhang Yingying was building the future she had always dreamed of. She had graduated from one of China's top universities, was preparing for a PhD program in the United States, and planned to marry her longtime boyfriend after completing her studies.

Then one ordinary afternoon, she left her lab to sign a lease for a new apartment. She never came back.

Running Late

That day, Yingying missed a connecting bus by only a few moments. Worried about being late for her appointment, she sent a message apologizing to the realtor and began looking for another way to get there.

A few minutes later, a black car pulled up beside her. After a brief conversation with the driver, she got inside. It was the last confirmed sighting of her alive.

The Perfect Victim

Investigators later discovered that the driver had already passed the bus stop once before returning. It didn't look like a random encounter anymore.

The suspect was a graduate student at the same university. On the surface, he appeared intelligent, educated, and successful.

But behind that image was someone who had spent months obsessing over violent fantasies and serial killers.

Suspicious

One detail continues to haunt this case. Yingying's body has never been found.

The killer confessed. The conviction was secured. Yet her family still has no grave to visit and no place to bring flowers.

In many ways, the search never truly ended.

Final Thoughts

Yingying traveled across the world to pursue an academic dream. Instead, a missed bus placed her in the path of a stranger who had been looking for a victim.

A promising future disappeared in a matter of minutes.