Woman with ties to a cultlike group to appear in court after border agent's killing

Source: Associated Press via WTOP

Woman with ties to a cultlike group to appear in court after border agent’s killing

The Associated Press
June 24, 2025, 12:55 PM

A woman charged in the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont is due in federal court Tuesday in one of multiple criminal cases linked to a cultlike group known as Zizians. ... Authorities have said Teresa Youngblut fired the bullet that killed agent David Maland during the January traffic stop. Another agent fired back, wounding Youngblut and killing her companion, Felix Bauckholt, officials have said.

The Zizians are a group of followers of Jack LaSota, a computer scientist who has blogged as “Ziz” on subjects including veganism, gender identity and artificial intelligence. The group mostly consists of computer scientists who met online, shared anarchist beliefs and became increasingly violent.

LaSota, who is facing state and federal weapons charges, was taken into custody in February in rural western Maryland with two other followers.

Youngblut and Bauckholt were both affiliated with LaSota’s group, which authorities have also linked to killings in Pennsylvania and California. Youngblut has pleaded not guilty to charges of intentionally using a deadly weapon towards law enforcement, and using and discharging a firearm during an assault with a deadly weapon.

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Read more: https://wtop.com/national/2025/06/woman-with-ties-to-a-cultlike-group-to-appear-in-court-after-border-agents-killing/