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Killing of Vermont border patrol agent tied to known cult, other murders


A manhunt is underway for an armed and dangerous woman accused in the death of a United States Border Patrol agent in Vermont. Investigators believe the fatal shooting is tied to an alleged radical cult on the West Coast that’s linked to at least three other murders across the country.

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Michelle Zajko is believed to have supplied the guns used to kill border agent David Maland during a traffic stop near the Canadian border on Jan. 20.

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The Albany Times Union reported that Zajko purchased two hand guns found at the scene of Maland’s death. The guns were allegedly used by the accused killer, Teresa Youngblut.

Youngblut’s passenger, Felix Bauckholt, a German citizen, who was also armed, was fatally shot by agents at the scene after Youngblut reportedly opened fire, killing Maland.

Youngblut was taken into custody and remains behind bars in Vermont.

What other cases is Zajko wanted in by police?

Meanwhile, as the search for Zajko continues, the Times Union said she is also wanted for the shooting deaths of her parents inside their Pennsylvania home in January 2023.

Zajko is also a “person of interest” in another murder of a California landlord earlier this year.

Police were able to make an arrest in the case, finding the suspect had a close relationship with Yungbluth.

According to court records, the pair was in “frequent contact with each other” prior to the killings on opposite sides of the country, just three days apart.

How are the people involved connected to a cult?

The alleged cult comes in as investigators connect the dots between all of the individuals allegedly involved in the killings.

Authorities believe the suspects are all part of an extremist group in the San Francisco area run by a transgender woman, legally named Jack Lasota, who goes by the name “Ziz.”

According to court records, Ziz takes on a violent philosophy based on veganism, artificial intelligence and transgenderism.

What is rationalism?

In a Friday, Jan. 31 episode of the “TrueAnon” podcast titled “Evil Gods Must Be Fought: the Zizian Murder Cult,” the hosts discuss the group, which contains members who call themselves “Zizians” and follow the theory of rationalism.

“They all basically kind of meet under this big world view, which is basically the belief that nothing like no fear of political correctness or uncontrollable or unwanted emotion should get in the way of a human’s ability to see the world as it is,” host Liz Franczak said. 

The Associated Press reported Ziz is currently facing charges of obstructing law enforcement and disorderly conduct in Pennsylvania.

Authorities haven’t said whether those charges are related to the murder of Zajko’s parents, but court records show police were searching for a gun used in the killings when they arrested Ziz 12 days later at a hotel about 10 miles from the scene of the killings. 

Ziz also previously lived at the property in California belonging to Curtis Lind, the landlord who was killed.

His death on Jan. 17 came two years after he survived a samurai sword attack allegedly carried out by two known Zizians who lived in box trucks on his property.

Ziz was not named in that case.

How are the victims’ families responding?

Lind’s family posted a message on GoFundMe about his death. 

“His murder was a senseless act,” Lind’s GoFundMe page stated. “He was a senior citizen trying to live his life to the best of his abilities despite how much he was going through physically and mentally after being attacked 2 years ago.”

What happens next?

The suspect in the Lind case, Maximilian Snyder, is scheduled to make a court appearance on Feb. 6.

The family of Maland, the border agent who was killed, said he was “a devoted agent who served with honor and bravery. He had a tremendous respect and pride for the work he did; he truly embodied service over self.”

Youngblut, who’s charged in that murder, is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 7.

As for the current manhunt for Zajko, police believe she is driving a green 2013 Subaru Outback with an expired Vermont registration.

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[Kennedy Felton]

A MANHUNT IS UNDERWAY FOR AN ARMED AND DANGEROUS WOMAN ACCUSED IN THE DEATH OF A U-S BORDER PATROL AGENT IN VERMONT.

INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE THE FATAL SHOOTING IS TIED TO AN ALLEGED RADICAL CULT ON THE WEST COAST THAT’S LINKED TO AT LEAST THREE OTHER MURDERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 

MICHELLE ZAJKO (ZAI-ko) IS BELIEVED TO HAVE SUPPLIED THE GUNS USED TO KILL BORDER AGENT DAVID MALAND (MAy-land) DURING A TRAFFIC STOP NEAR THE CANADIAN BORDER ON JANUARY 20TH.
THE ALBANY TIMES UNION REPORTS THAT (ZAI-ko) PURCHASED TWO HAND GUNS FOUND AT THE SCENE OF MALAND’S DEATH. THE GUNS WERE ALLEGEDLY USED BY THE ACCUSED KILLER TERESA YOUNGBLUT. 

YOUNGBLUT’S PASSENGER – FELIX BAUCKHOLT … A GERMAN CITIZEN … WAS ALSO ARMED … AND WAS FATALLY SHOT BY AGENTS AT THE SCENE AFTER YOUNGBLUT REPORTEDLY OPENED FIRE, KILLING MALAND.

YOUNGBLUT WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND REMAINS BEHIND BARS IN VERMONT.

MEANWHILE, AS THE SEARCH FOR (ZAI-ko) CONTINUES… THE TIMES UNION SAYS SHE’S ALSO WANTED FOR THE SHOOTING DEATHS OF HER PARENTS INSIDE THEIR PENNSYLVANIA HOME IN JANUARY 20-23 .

ACCORDING TO COURT RECORDS … ZAJKO IS ALSO A “PERSON OF INTEREST” IN *ANOTHER* MURDER … OF A CALIFORNIA LANDLORD EARLIER THIS YEAR.

POLICE WERE ABLE TO MAKE AN ARREST IN THE CASE, FINDING THE SUSPECT HAD A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUNGBLUT.

ACCORDING TO COURT RECORDS, THE PAIR WAS IN “FREQUENT CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER” PRIOR TO THE KILLINGS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE COUNTRY … JUST THREE DAYS APART.

THIS IS WHERE THE ALLEGED CULT COMES IN … AS INVESTIGATORS CONNECT THE DOTS BETWEEN ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN THE KILLINGS.

AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THEY’RE ALL PART OF AN EXTREMIST GROUP IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA RUN BY A TRANSGENDER WOMAN … LEGALLY NAMED “JACK LASOTA” … WHO GOES BY THE NAME “ZIZ.”

ACCORDING TO COURT RECORDS … “ZIZ” TAKES ON A VIOLENT PHILOSOPHY BASED ON VEGANISM, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND TRANSGENDERISM.

IN A NEW EPISODE OF THE “TRUE ANON” PODCAST … TITLED “THE ZIZIAN MURDER CULT” – THE HOSTS DISCUSS THE GROUP … WITH MEMBERS WHO CALL THEMSELVES “ZIZIANS” AND FOLLOW THE “RATIONALISM” THEORY.

“they’re all basically kind of meeting under this big world view … which is basically is the belief that nothing like no fear of political correctness or uncontrollable or unwanted emotion should get in the way of a human’s ability to see the world as it is”

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS … “ZIZ” IS CURRENTLY FACING CHARGES OF OBSTRUCTING LAW ENFORCEMENT AND DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTHORITIES HAVEN’T SAID WHETHER THOSE CHARGES ARE RELATED TO THE MURDER OF ZAJKO’S PARENTS, BUT COURT RECORDS SHOW POLICE WERE SEARCHING FOR A GUN USED IN THE KILLINGS WHEN THEY ARRESTED “ZIZ” 12 DAYS LATER AT A HOTEL ABOUT 10 MILES FROM THE SCENE OF THE KILLINGS. 

“ZIZ” ALSO PREVIOUSLY LIVED AT THE PROPERTY IN CALIFORNIA BELONGING TO CURTIS LIND– THE LANDLORD WHO WAS KILLED.

HIS JANUARY 17TH DEATH CAME TWO YEARS AFTER HE SURVIVED A SAMURAI SWORD ATTACK ALLEGEDLY BY TWO KNOWN “ZIZIANS”  WHO LIVED IN BOX TRUCKS ON HIS PROPERTY.

“ZIZ” WAS NOT NAMED IN THIS CASE.

LIND’S FAMILY POSTED ON GO FUND ME … SAYING QUOTE ..

“HIS MURDER WAS A SENSELESS ACT. HE WAS A SENIOR CITIZEN TRYING TO LIVE HIS LIFE TO THE BEST OF HIS ABILITIES DESPITE HOW MUCH HE WAS GOING THROUGH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY AFTER BEING ATTACKED 2 YEARS AGO.”

WE MAY LEARN MORE DETAILS WHEN THE SUSPECT IN THE CASE MAKES A COURT APPEARANCE IN FEBRUARY.

THE FAMILY OF MALAND … THE BORDER AGENT WHO WAS KILLED SAYS HE WAS A DEVOTED AGENT WHO SERVED WITH HONOR AND BRAVERY. HE HAD A TREMENDOUS RESPECT AND PRIDE FOR THE WORK HE DID; HE TRULY EMBODIED SERVICE OVER SELF.”

YOUNGBLUT – WHO’S CHARGED IN THAT MURDER IS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN COURT FEBRUARY SEVENTH.

AS FOR THE CURRENT MANHUNT FOR ZAJKO … POLICE BELIEVE SHE IS DRIVING A GREEN 20-13 SUBARU OUTBACK WITH AN EXPIRED VERMONT REGISTRATION.

FOR SAN I’M KENNEDY FELTON.

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