A woman from Washington state has been denied bail following her arraignment in connection with the fatal shooting of a U.S. Border Patrol agent, a case that spans several states and involves multiple homicides.
Teresa Youngblut, 21, has been charged with federal firearms offenses in relation to the death of Agent David Maland on January 20. Authorities allege that Youngblut fired upon law enforcement during a traffic stop in northern Vermont, which led to an exchange of gunfire that resulted in the death of her partner, Felix Bauckholt.
Recent reports from Pennsylvania state police have revealed that the firearm involved in the Vermont incident was reportedly acquired by a person linked to the murders of Richard and Rita Zajko. The couple was found shot dead in their Chester Heights residence on December 31, 2022. Prosecutors mentioned that both Youngblut and the alleged buyer maintained regular communication with an individual who has been detained in connection to the Pennsylvania investigation and is also a person of interest in a separate California homicide case, according to U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher’s court filing.
During a brief court hearing on Thursday where neither Youngblut nor her legal representative spoke, the details surrounding the case remained sparse. Youngblut’s attorney has yet to comment on the charges. A preliminary hearing is set for February 7.
Police and court documents have begun to outline the connections between various individuals implicated in the investigations. Among them is Jack LaSota, who faces charges of obstructing law enforcement and disorderly conduct in Pennsylvania. Authorities have not confirmed if these charges relate to the Zajko case; however, records indicate that a search for a weapon linked to two killings led to LaSota’s arrest several days after the Zajkos were murdered, almost 10 miles from where the incident occurred.
LaSota also has ties to the ongoing California investigation. In 2019, he and three others were detained during a protest against an event organized by the Center for Applied Rationality. In late 2022, two of his associates were implicated in a brutal attack on their landlord, resulting in the landlord’s survival at the time but eventual murder weeks later. Maximilian Snyder has been charged with that crime. Interestingly, a marriage license application was submitted under the name Teresa Youngblut to the same Maximilian Snyder in Washington just a month before the landlord incident. Snyder’s attorney has chosen not to comment on the allegations at this time.
Court documents suggest that LaSota might have been at the scene during the landlord’s violent encounter, and there were even earlier claims indicating LaSota had been presumed dead after falling from a boat in San Francisco Bay in August 2022. Despite a thorough search, no body was recovered at that time. Following this, an obituary was published, and LaSota’s mother confirmed the supposed death, but a prosecutor later clarified that LaSota was indeed alive and involved in another crime in November.
Though officials have not named the individual responsible for purchasing the gun involved in the Vermont shooting, reports indicate that federal agents have sought information from gun dealers about transactions associated with Michelle Jacqueline Zajko, who has been identified as a person of interest in the shooting incident.
Records show that a Michelle Zajko had previously registered to vote at the same address as the deceased Zajkos in Pennsylvania and later acquired a parcel of land in Derby, Vermont, not far from the Canadian border in 2021. The property remains undeveloped, according to local documents.
This article has been amended to correct the name of Alexander Jeffrey Leatham.
