Prosecutors say they’ve held talks on a possible plea deal with the suspect charged with kidnapping and killing a University of Illinois scholar from China.

They recently said they’ll seek the death penalty for Brendt Christensen, citing how he allegedly tortured 26-year-old Yingying Zhang before killing her. Her body hasn’t been found.

Such pretrial talks are not unusual. They often involve defendants offering cooperation for a lesser sentence. But what Christensen could offer and whether prosecutors would be willing to recommend a punishment other than death isn’t clear.

The trial is set for April 2.