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A woman accused of shooting and killing a U.S. Border Patrol agent pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges on Friday, marking her first court appearance since prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty for the suspect linked to a transgender vegan cult that has been tied to multiple killings across the country.
Teresa Youngblut, 21, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Burlington, Vermont, to the shooting, which took place during a traffic stop in January. The superseding indictment, returned by a federal grand jury last month, charged Youngblut with the murder of Agent David Maland, the assault of two other agents with a deadly weapon and related gun offenses.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi has formally authorized the pursuit of capital punishment in the case, and the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Vermont has filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty, the agency said last month.
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Investigators have linked Youngblut to the “Zizians,” a self-described vegan, anti-government, transgender-rights collective that authorities say has been tied to six killings across three states, the Associated Press reported.
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During the Jan. 20 traffic stop along Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vermont, prosecutors allege that Youngblut exited the Toyota Prius she was in with her companion, Felix Bauckholt, before shooting at the law enforcement officers without warning — killing Maland and endangering two other Border Patrol agents. An agent returned fire, and Bauckholt was killed and Youngblut was wounded.
During the Friday appearance, Youngblut’s hair was styled in braided pigtails, and she donned an oversized sweatshirt, a mask and baggy pants, according to the AP. Her parents watched her enter the courtroom, where her mother smiled and waved to her as she was later handcuffed and escorted out, the AP reported.
Following Youngblut’s not guilty plea, Judge Christina Reiss turned to matters of pretrial discovery. The defense wanted to make sure that the accused killer’s medical records remain confidential, noting they are extensive. Reiss affirmed that medical and mental health records are considered privileged material, the AP reported.
Youngblut, who is currently being held in federal custody, also has new legal representation. Her case is being led by Christine Lehmann, a senior capital attorney with the Louisiana Crisis Assistance Center, according to NBC5.
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The status conference originally scheduled for Nov. 5 has also been postponed, and no new date has been scheduled yet, NBC5 reported.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Lehmann and Steven Barth, who has been representing Youngblut, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
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