The 21-year-old woman accused of fatally shooting a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a Vermont traffic stop was arraigned Friday on a charge of murder, advancing a criminal case that could lead to the death penalty.
Teresa Youngblut of Seattle, Wash. has been imprisoned since the January 20 shootout in Coventry that killed 44-year-old border patrol agent David “Chris” Maland. She initially faced weapons and assault charges, but prosecutors have said that they can prove Youngblut fired the shot that killed Maland. She was indicted last month on four new counts.
Friday’s arraignment at the federal courthouse in Burlington was Youngblut’s first court appearance since the government vowed to seek the death penalty in her case. She was shackled and wore a gray sweatshirt. She spoke only to confirm the pronunciation of her name and enter pleas of not guilty.
Among her legal defense team was Christine Lehmann, a senior attorney at the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center, which represents people who have been charged with capital crimes. A bio on the New Orleans-based nonprofit’s website says Lehmann has particular expertise working with clients who have mental illnesses and intellectual disabilities.
An employee of a hotel where Youngblut and her companion, German citizen Felix Bauckholt, stayed reported to authorities that the two were wearing black tactical-style clothing; Youngblut also had a holstered firearm. Law enforcement surveilled the pair for days.
Border Patrol agents say they eventually stopped a vehicle that Youngblut was driving on Interstate 91 because they believed that Bauckholt’s visa had expired. Prosecutors say that’s when Youngblut drew a Glock pistol and shot at Maland without warning, prompting other border patrol agents to return fire. Bauckholt and Maland were killed. Youngblut was wounded.
The shooting brought international attention to the cult-like group of philosophers known as the Zizians, who took special interest in veganism, gender identity, artificial intelligence and rationalist philosophy. Youngblut and Bauckholt appear to have been living with other Zizian adherents prior to the shooting, and authorities have linked the group to killings across three states.
The federal government, which has executed only one woman in the past 72 years, placed a moratorium on capital punishment in federal cases during president Joe Biden’s term.
But shortly after Maland’s death, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi lifted the moratorium and directed federal prosecutors across the country to pursue the death penalty under certain circumstances, including when the victim is a law enforcement officer.