A case involving the deaths of a Delaware County couple in 2022 has unexpectedly connected to the line-of-duty shooting death of a US Border Patrol agent in Vermont. The investigations revealed a shared link through a firearm purchase.
A case involving the deaths of a Delaware County couple in late 2022 has taken a dramatic turn, connecting to the line-of-duty shooting death of a US Border Patrol agent in Vermont . Pennsylvania State Police revealed this link on Wednesday, stating that a Border Patrol agent was fatally shot on January 20th, 2025, during a vehicle stop near a Canadian border crossing in Coventry, Vermont .
The agent, identified as 44-year-old David Maland, was attempting to stop a vehicle occupied by 21-year-old Teresa Youngblut of Washington state and German citizen Felix Bauckholt. Both Youngblut and Bauckholt had been under surveillance for several days prior to the incident. During the attempted stop, gunfire erupted, resulting in the deaths of both Bauckholt and Agent Maland. Youngblut was apprehended and is currently facing weapons charges.The investigation into Agent Maland's death uncovered a crucial connection to the 2022 double homicide of Rita and Richard Zajko in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania. Authorities determined that the firearm used in the shooting of Agent Maland was purchased by Michelle J. Zajko, a 32-year-old identified as a person of interest in the Zajko murders. The Pennsylvania State Police had responded to a welfare check at the Zajko residence on January 2nd, 2023, where they discovered the couple deceased. The investigation revealed the couple had been killed on December 31st, 2022. The case remains active with the PSP Media Criminal Investigation Unit.In a motion filed Monday, U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher argued for Youngblut's detention pending further proceedings, citing the severity of the crime, the substantial evidence against her, her lack of ties to Vermont, and the potential danger she poses to the community. The motion revealed that the gun Youngblut used and one carried by Bauckholt were purchased by a third party in Vermont last February. This third party is also considered a person of interest in the Zajko double homicide. Both Youngblut and the buyer, according to the motion, have frequent contact with an individual who was detained during the Zajko investigation and is also a person of interest in a homicide case in Vallejo, California. The Pennsylvania State Police is urging anyone with information regarding these investigations to contact PSP Tips at 1-800-4PA-TIPS (8477) or through their online tip website. Individuals can also reach out to their local Pennsylvania State Police station, Criminal Investigation Unit
HOMICIDE BORDER PATROL PENNSYLVANIA VERMONT GUNFIRE INVESTIGATION
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