COVENTRY, Vt. — Attorneys for Teresa Youngblut say the Jan. 20, 2025, traffic stop on Interstate 91 that led to the deaths of a Border Patrol agent and a passenger began under false pretenses and that agents continued to detain the vehicle’s occupants even after determining a passenger’s immigration status was lawful.
The allegations appear in a new motion filed this month by Youngblut’s defense team in U.S. District Court. Youngblut, a Washington state resident, is charged in the fatal shooting of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland during the encounter in Coventry. Federal prosecutors have charged Youngblut with multiple federal counts, including second-degree murder of a federal law enforcement officer, and are seeking the death penalty.
What the filing says
Defense attorneys assert material produced during discovery shows that Homeland Security Investigations had determined by Jan. 15, 2025, that passenger Felix Bauckholt — later identified as a member of a group described in court records as the Zizian group — held a valid visa and was lawfully in the United States.
The motion contends that despite this, agents questioned Youngblut and Bauckholt for more than 30 minutes before deciding to forcibly remove them from the vehicle and detain them on suspicion of alien smuggling.
Requests to the court
Among the defense’s demands is an order requiring prosecutors to preserve forensic copies of electronic devices used by officers who participated in the surveillance, traffic stop and subsequent shooting. That includes work-issued phones and personal electronic devices, the filing says.
Prosecutors’ case has relied in part on an FBI affidavit that described a Lyndonville hotel employee contacting law enforcement after seeing Youngblut and Bauckholt wearing tactical gear and carrying a firearm. The affidavit also states federal agents began surveilling the pair on Jan. 14, 2025, six days before the deadly encounter on I-91.
| Key dates | Reported activity |
|---|---|
| Jan. 14, 2025 | Surveillance begins, per FBI affidavit |
| Jan. 15, 2025 | Defense says HSI determined passenger had valid visa |
| Jan. 20, 2025 | Traffic stop and fatal shooting on I-91 in Coventry |
Local and legal implications
The defense’s motion, if sustained, could affect how the government preserves investigative materials and could lead to further court-ordered disclosures. The request to preserve officers’ electronic records signals defense concern about the completeness of records created during surveillance and the stop.
Youngblut has pleaded not guilty. The case remains pending in federal court, and any further hearings or rulings on discovery requests could influence pretrial strategy from both sides.
- Allegation: Traffic stop began under false pretenses, defense says.
- Evidence sought: Forensic preservation of officers’ phones and devices.
- Charges: Youngblut faces federal counts including second-degree murder; DOJ seeks death penalty.
The investigation and prosecution involve multiple federal agencies, and court filings remain the primary public record of many developments. As the matter continues through the federal system, court orders and future filings will provide additional details about the circumstances surrounding the stop and the actions of law enforcement leading up to the shooting.
