UPDATE: A member of the cultlike Zizian group is set to be arraigned on murder charges today in the shocking death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent, David Maland, in Vermont. The arraignment comes just weeks after federal prosecutors announced their intention to seek the death penalty against Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Seattle.
The incident occurred during a traffic stop on January 20 on Interstate 91, approximately 20 miles south of the Canadian border. Following the stop, Youngblut allegedly opened fire, fatally injuring Maland and killing her male companion, Felix Bauckholt. Initially charged with lesser offenses, Youngblut now faces serious charges, including the murder of an on-duty border patrol agent.
According to the Department of Justice, “Attorney General Pamela Bondi has authorized and directed the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont to pursue capital punishment in this case.” The federal grand jury later indicted Youngblut for murder, as well as assaulting two other agents with a deadly weapon and related firearms offenses.
Youngblut is not alone; she is one of at least six individuals linked to the Zizian group, which has been implicated in multiple killings across Vermont, Pennsylvania, and California. This group, described as a “cultlike group of vegan ‘rationalists,'” is associated with the controversial figure Jack LaSota, who sometimes writes under the name “Ziz.”
The Zizians have been accused of connections to at least six homicides, raising alarm across states. Notably, member Michelle Zajko is charged with the New Year’s Eve 2022 murder of her parents in Pennsylvania. In a handwritten letter, Zajko denied the accusations, attributing blame to media misrepresentation and defending LaSota.
As this case develops, the arraignment today will further unveil the extent of the Zizian group’s criminal activities and their alleged impacts on communities. The prosecution’s move to pursue the death penalty marks a significant escalation in the legal proceedings against Youngblut.
Stay tuned for further updates as authorities continue to unravel the complexities of this ongoing investigation and the implications for public safety.
