Written by Holly Ramer
(AP) CONCORD, N.H. A woman accused of killing a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont wants to wait at least six months for the government to decide whether to pursue the death sentence.
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Teresa Youngblut, a resident of Washington state, is a member of the Zizians, a cult-like organization linked to six murders across three states. She is charged with shooting at agent David Maland on January 20, the day President Donald Trump was sworn in and signed a comprehensive executive order ending the federal execution ban.
Maland’s passing was later used by Attorney General Pam Bondi to order federal prosecutors to pursue the death sentence in matters involving the murder of law enforcement personnel unless they discover compelling mitigating circumstances. However, Youngblut’s attorneys contend that the government has set an incredibly short and hurried schedule for that decision.
Although Youngblut has not yet been charged with a felony that qualifies for the capital sentence, Assistant Federal Public Defenders Steven Barth and Julie Stelzig stated in a motion filed late Monday that the government has given them until July 28 to explain why the death penalty should not be pursued.
She is currently solely charged with firing a firearm during a deadly weapon assault and using a deadly weapon against law police. Additionally, her attorneys pointed out that she would only have a few weeks to provide testimony to the group of attorneys who advise the attorney general on capital cases, even if a new indictment were to be issued soon. On the other hand, they stated that it typically takes over 14 months between an indictment and a committee meeting.
The lawyers noted that because of the July 28 deadline, the defense is likely to miss not just a few discrete pieces of mitigating evidence, but entire facets of Ms. Youngblut’s life that could eventually turn out to be rich sources of mitigation. Ms. Youngblut’s submission is likely to become a nearly meaningless formality due to the government’s schedule.
According to her attorneys, Youngblut initially looked for a public defender with experience in death penalty cases, but the first competent attorney left, and a new one didn’t join the team until recently. They ascribed the delay, in part, to a lack of these attorneys as a result of the sharp increase in possible capital cases.
Youngblut’s lawyers have requested that the court allow her until at least January 30, 2026, to present her mitigating evidence to the committee. They have also requested that the court forbid prosecutors from deciding whether to execute Youngblut until after the review of the material. A request for comment on Tuesday was not answered by prosecutors.
Authorities had been keeping an eye on Youngblut and her friend, Felix Bauckholt, for a few days prior to the incident after a hotel clerk in Vermont claimed to have seen them wearing black tactical gear and carrying pistols. She is charged with shooting at border officials who stopped the vehicle on Interstate 91. An agent returned fire, wounded Youngblut and killing Bauckholt.
Jack LaSota, a transgender woman also known as Ziz, attracted young, extremely brilliant computer scientists who shared anarchist views with her online writings about veganism, gender identity, and artificial intelligence. The two were among her followers. Members of the organization have been linked to the deaths of a Pennsylvania couple, a California landlord murdered earlier this year, and the death of one of their own during an attack on the landlord in 2022.
LaSota and two other individuals were detained in February in Maryland on allegations of possessing firearms and drugs. Additionally, LaSota is facing federal charges of being an armed fugitive.Youngblut had submitted an application for a marriage license to Maximilian Snyder, who is accused of killing the landlord in California.After being detained alongside LaSota in Maryland, Michelle Zajko—whose parents were killed in Pennsylvania—was accused with supplying Youngblut with guns in Vermont.
