The other explanation offered for this nearly unprecedented move — that the defense team wanted to go through the motions of a trial in order to soften up the jury so they’d show mercy during the upcoming sentencing phase — makes little sense given how the evidence revealed beyond any doubt that Christensen is sociopathically evil and killed Zhang in such a heinous manner that I won’t repeat it here. And given how even mildly attentive jurors will realize without being told that every day he doesn’t point authorities to Zhang’s remains is a new offense that makes him that much more deserving of death.