OSINT Dossier: Ophelia Bauckholt (Felix Bauckholt) — Vermont Border Patrol Shootout¶

Dossier opened: February 5, 2026
Last updated: February 12, 2026
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Subject: Ophelia Bauckholt (born Felix Bauckholt) — Killed in shootout with Border Patrol
Type: officer-involved-shooting
Confidence: HIGH
Sources: 21 (multi-sourced, verified)

CASE NOTE

This case differs fundamentally from others in the project. Bauckholt was killed by return fire AFTER her companion shot and killed a Border Patrol agent. This appears to be legitimate defensive fire during an active shooter situation, not disputed excessive force. Both occupants were armed. One agent died. We document it for completeness — and because every human matters, including the ones whose deaths are not disputed.

Executive Summary¶

On January 20, 2025 — the same day Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term — Ophelia Bauckholt, a 26-year-old German national, was killed by U.S. Border Patrol agents during a traffic stop on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vermont, approximately 20 miles south of the Canadian border. Her companion, Teresa Youngblut (21, Washington state), opened fire on agents without warning, fatally shooting Border Patrol Agent David "Chris" Maland in the neck. A second agent returned fire, killing Bauckholt after he saw her attempting to draw her own firearm. Youngblut was wounded and arrested.

Both Bauckholt and Youngblut were members of the Zizians, a cult-like offshoot of the rationalist and effective altruism communities, linked to six killings across three states. Youngblut has been indicted for murder; federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Bauckholt's story is its own tragedy: a gifted mathematician, gold medalist at the International Olympiad in Informatics, earning over $500,000/year as a quantitative trader in New York, who was drawn into a violent cult and died at 26 on a frozen Vermont highway.

1. INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED¶

Ophelia Bauckholt (Deceased)¶

Personal Background

Birth name: Felix Bauckholt
Chosen name: Ophelia Bauckholt
Gender identity: Transfeminine (transitioned after college)
Age at death: 26
Nationality: German
Birthplace: Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Died: January 20, 2025, Coventry, Vermont
Cause of death: Multiple gunshot wounds to the chest (homicide)

Education:

Attended the Goethe-Gymnasium in Freiburg, Germany — a national math champion in high school
2014: Won gold medal at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), the most prestigious high school coding competition in the world
2015: Won bronze medal at the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO)
Earned a scholarship to the University of Waterloo (Canada), one of several students who had won medals at international olympiads
Graduated with honors in pure mathematics from Waterloo in 2019
College friends described her as a "passionate math student" who was also "fun" and "very positive"
Active member of the computer science club and pure math club at Waterloo

Career:

Interned at Jane Street Capital (elite NYC quantitative trading firm) while still in college
Worked as a quantitative technologist at Radix Trading for two years after graduation
Joined Tower Research Capital in New York in October 2021 as a quantitative trader
Earning more than $500,000 annually at the time of her radicalization
H-1B visa holder; visa appeared expired in DHS database at the time of the stop, but the FBI later confirmed her visa was current

Effective Altruism:

Considered herself an effective altruist — believed in donating the majority of her earnings to high-impact causes
Spent no more than 10% of her pretax income on herself, per friends
In 2018, publicly posted a $5,000 donation to the Against Malaria Foundation

Radicalization Timeline:

2019: Attended a CFAR (Center for Applied Rationality) event; first expressed interest in the rationalist community
Late 2022: Met AI researcher Jessica Taylor at rationalist events in NYC; discussions centered on Ziz and the Zizian ideology. Taylor warned Bauckholt about the "death cult" nature of the group
Spring 2023: Still living her "best life" in New York — half-million-dollar salary, active social calendar
Mid-2023: Began retreating from friends, spending long periods on the phone with unidentified people, taking frequent weekend flights to undisclosed destinations
November 2023: Left on a flight from Newark Liberty International Airport and cut off all contact with all friends
2023: Quit working at Tower Research Capital, putting her visa extension at risk
January 2025: Found traveling with Teresa Youngblut in black tactical gear, armed, in rural Vermont

Friend's Statement:

"I know Ophelia well enough to know that she would not have voluntarily ended up in the situation that she did. This came as a result of a long string of bad decisions that were made on the basis of her falsely thinking that she didn't have other options. She is very naive, altruistic and trusting, and that makes her exploitable."

Teresa Youngblut (Arrested — Facing Death Penalty)¶

Age: 21 at time of shooting
Residence: Seattle, Washington (also connected to Washington state)
Affiliation: Zizian cult member
Status: Federal custody, held without bail
Charges: Murder of federal agent, assault of two additional agents with deadly weapon, related firearms offenses
Plea: Not guilty (entered September 5, 2025)
Penalty sought: Death (authorized by AG Pamela Bondi)
Marriage license: Applied in November 2024 to marry Maximilian Bentley Snyder, another Zizian member, who was arrested days before the Vermont shooting for stabbing a man to death in California
Weapon used: Glock .40-caliber pistol — purchased by Michelle Zajko using a false address at a Vermont gun store in February 2024

Border Patrol Agent David "Chris" Maland (Killed in the Line of Duty)¶

In Memoriam

Agent David Christopher Maland served his country for 24 years — nine in the military, fifteen in federal law enforcement. He was the first Border Patrol agent killed by gunfire in the line of duty since 2014.

Full name: David Christopher Maland
Age: 44
Born: February 19, 1980, Blue Earth, Minnesota
Agency: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Swanton Sector, Newport Station
Cause of death: Gunshot wound to the neck
Buried: Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, with full military honors (February 22, 2025)

Military Service:

Enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in June 1999 after graduating from Fairmont High School (Minnesota)
Served six years as a Security Forces Journeyman
September 11, 2001: On duty at the Pentagon during the terrorist attacks; was deployed to guard an undersecretary at a bunker at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling for several days
Awards: Air Force Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, NATO Medal

Law Enforcement Career:

Earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Metropolitan State University (2012)
Completed the U.S. Border Patrol Academy
Stationed in Texas for two years as a Border Patrol agent
2019: Transferred to Newport, Vermont — served as Border Patrol agent, K-9 handler, and member of the Mobile Response Team
Had many chances for promotion but turned them down to stay in the field, according to his cousin, Minnesota State Rep. Krista Knudsen

Personal:

Described as an outdoorsman who loved hiking, biking, and playing with his dogs
Survivors: father David Maland (Rhonda); mother Nona Larson (Tom); brother Jacob Maland (Tara); nephews Ryker and Jace; niece Hailey; and fiancee Rosanne Frechette
His fiancee said his "unwavering integrity touched everyone who knew him"

Family Statements:

"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." — Maland family statement

"We are deeply touched at the outpouring of love and support for our son, brother and fiancé. To think people who never knew David Christopher Maland personally would reach out with condolences and beautiful words of support has been beyond our imagination. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you."

"When my brother called me and told me the news I think the first thing that came out of my mouth was 'he's one of the greatest people I've ever met.' It was shocking and horrific and surreal." — Joan Maland, aunt

Memorials:

Law enforcement procession of 200+ vehicles through Burlington, VT to escort his body from the UVM Medical Center (January 23, 2025)
U.S. and Canadian border agencies joint tribute ceremony in Newport, VT
Drift Dusters Snowmobile Club dedicated a warming hut on the international boundary in Holland, VT — a trail Maland had often patrolled
Burial at Fort Snelling National Cemetery — described as one of the largest showings of support ever at the cemetery
Attendees included: U.S. Border Patrol Honor Guard (40 members), Vermont State Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Patriot Guard Riders, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
Three Volley Salute and Border Patrol helicopter flyover
Donations in his name directed to The Purple Heart Fund and Retired Paws

Historic Note: Maland was the first Border Patrol agent killed in the line of duty by gunfire since Agent Javier Vega Jr. was shot and killed near Santa Monica, Texas, in 2014.

2. THE INCIDENT¶

Surveillance (January 13–19, 2025)¶

January 13: A hotel employee in Newport, VT reported two individuals — an adult male and female — checking into a hotel wearing black tactical gear. At least one was openly carrying a firearm. Both arrived in a blue Toyota Prius.
The male was identified as a German citizen with an H-1B visa; the female as a U.S. citizen.
Border Patrol agents surveilled the pair for approximately one week before deciding to conduct a traffic stop.

January 20, 2025 — The Shooting¶

Location: Interstate 91 southbound, near mile marker 168, Coventry, Vermont — approximately 20 miles south of the Canadian border

Time: Approximately 3:15 PM EST

Three marked Border Patrol vehicles conducted a traffic stop on a blue 2015 Toyota Prius
Youngblut was driving; Bauckholt was the passenger
Bauckholt appeared to have an expired visa in the DHS database (later confirmed current by FBI)
Both occupants had firearms
Youngblut stepped out of the vehicle and opened fire without warning
Agent Maland was struck in the neck — a critical wound
Maland was transported to a hospital in a Newport police cruiser; pronounced dead
A second Border Patrol agent returned fire, striking Youngblut in the arm and leg
The same agent saw Bauckholt attempting to draw his own gun (Smith & Wesson M&P Shield .380-caliber pistol)
When Bauckholt refused orders to stop, the agent fired, striking her multiple times in the chest
Bauckholt was declared dead at the scene at 3:15 PM
Youngblut was arrested and transported to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH

Shots Fired (CBP Report):

Youngblut: 4 rounds fired (one struck and killed Agent Maland)
Border Patrol: return fire (struck Youngblut in arm/leg; struck Bauckholt multiple times in chest)

Shot Count Discrepancy

Early reporting cited 2 shots from Youngblut and 7 from agents. The May 2025 CBP report updated the count to 4 rounds from Youngblut. One agent returned fire at both subjects.

Arsenal Recovered¶

From the blue Toyota Prius:

Glock .40-caliber pistol (Youngblut's weapon — purchased by Michelle Zajko)
Smith & Wesson M&P Shield .380-caliber pistol (Bauckholt's weapon — also purchased by Zajko)
48 rounds of .380-caliber jacketed hollow point ammunition
Ballistic helmet
Night vision monocular
Tactical belt with holster
Package of shooting range targets
Two handheld two-way radios
Cell phones wrapped in aluminum foil
Multiple laptops
A journal belonging to Youngblut

Autopsy Details¶

Bauckholt: The Vermont Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Burlington determined the preliminary cause of death was trauma (multiple gunshot wounds to the chest). Manner of death: homicide. Date/time of death listed as January 20, 2025, at 3:15 PM.

Maland: Autopsy confirmed the official cause of death was a gunshot wound to the neck.

3. THE ZIZIAN CULT¶

Linked to 6+ Killings Across 3 States

The Zizians have been connected to six violent deaths: Border Patrol Agent David Maland and Ophelia Bauckholt (Vermont, Jan 2025), Curtis Lind (California, Jan 2025), Emma Borhanian (California, Nov 2022), and Richard and Rita Zajko (Pennsylvania, Dec 2022).

Origins and Ideology¶

The Zizians are an informal group of rationalists — young, highly intelligent computer scientists, mostly in their 20s and 30s, who met online and shared anarchist beliefs. The term "Zizians" derives from their apparent leader's online persona, "Ziz."

Their ideology is a volatile mix of:

Rationalism — rooted in the LessWrong community and Eliezer Yudkowsky's writings, particularly Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
Radical veganism — animal rights taken to extremist conclusions
Anarchism — rejection of state authority and conventional social norms
Transhumanism — concern with AI existential risk and human cognition
"Heroic responsibility" — the belief that individuals must take extreme action to uphold their moral framework
Roko's basilisk — a thought experiment from the rationalist community about a future AI that punishes those who didn't help bring it into existence; the Zizians' fixation on apocalyptic AI scenarios drives extreme actions
Split-brain gender theory — a theory unique to LaSota that the two hemispheres of the brain can hold separate values and genders, and "often desire to kill each other"

Most, if not all, members identify as transgender. The group has been compared to the Manson Family by the Boston Globe and the New York Times. Anna Salamon, director of the Center for Applied Rationality, compared their belief system to that of a doomsday cult.

The Leader: Jack "Ziz" LaSota¶

Age: 34 (at time of 2025 arrest)
Residence: Berkeley, California
Education: Bachelor's in computer engineering from University of Alaska Fairbanks (2013); attended University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for a master's degree (2013–2014, did not complete)
Background: Had an internship at NASA
Identity: Transgender woman; religiously identifies as a Sith; known for wearing a black cape
Online presence: Published a "dark and sometimes violent blog" under the name Ziz
Faked death: In August 2022, was declared legally dead by her family after she supposedly fell into San Francisco Bay. Reappeared in January 2023 in a Philadelphia hotel room during a police search connected to the Zajko murders.
Arrested: February 16, 2025, in Frostburg, Maryland — along with Michelle Zajko and Daniel Blank — after a property owner reported three "suspicious" people in black clothing with gun belts who had parked two box trucks and asked to camp for a month
Status: Held without bail; faces trespassing, obstruction, and firearms charges in Maryland; federal firearms charge in Vermont

Recruitment Pattern¶

A CFAR employee described LaSota's recruitment strategy: she targeted "smart, mostly autistic-ish trans women who were extremely vulnerable and isolated."

The pattern matches Bauckholt's profile precisely — highly intelligent, recently transitioned, engaged in the rationalist community, altruistic and trusting. Friends described her as exploitable precisely because of her naivety and desire to help.

Researcher Jessica Taylor described the process: Ziz adherents use rationalist ideology as a framework to justify violence, including "thinking it's reasonable to avoid paying rent and defend oneself from being evicted."

Timeline of Zizian Violence¶

Date	Event	Location	Deaths
~2017	LaSota recruits "Rationalist Fleet" to live on boats, including a WWII-era tugboat	San Francisco Bay, CA	0
Nov 2019	Zizians protest CFAR retreat; SWAT team and armored vehicle called	Northern California	0
2022	Eviction dispute with landlord Curtis Lind escalates; members stop paying rent, place locks on trailers	Vallejo, CA	0
Aug 2022	LaSota fakes her own death in a "boating accident"	San Francisco Bay, CA	0
Nov 15, 2022	First attack on landlord Curtis Lind — impaled with a sword, partially blinded. Lind shoots and kills attacker Emma Borhanian in self-defense	Vallejo, CA	1
Dec 31, 2022	Richard Zajko (71) and Rita Zajko (69) shot and killed in their home — parents of Zizian member Michelle Zajko	Chester Heights, PA	2
Jan 2023	LaSota found alive in a Philadelphia hotel during police search connected to Zajko murders	Philadelphia, PA	0
Feb 2024	Michelle Zajko purchases three firearms (including guns later used in Vermont) from a Vermont gun store using a false address	Mount Tabor, VT	0
Jan 17, 2025	Curtis Lind stabbed to death — allegedly by Maximilian Snyder (22), a Zizian follower. Lind was set to testify against his earlier attackers	Vallejo, CA	1
Jan 20, 2025	Vermont shootout: Agent David Maland killed; Ophelia Bauckholt killed; Youngblut wounded and arrested	Coventry, VT	2
Feb 16, 2025	LaSota, Zajko, and Daniel Blank arrested in Maryland with firearms, tactical gear, and two box trucks	Frostburg, MD	0

Total deaths linked to the Zizians: 6 (plus 1 faked death)

The Gun Connection¶

The firearms used in the Vermont shootout were traced back to Michelle Zajko, 32, the daughter of the murdered Pennsylvania couple. Zajko purchased three firearms — including the Glock and Smith & Wesson used by Youngblut and Bauckholt — from the Last Frontier gun store in Mount Tabor, Vermont in February 2024, using a false address. License plate reader data from New York showed a car registered to Bauckholt driving toward Vermont the day before the purchase.

Zajko was separately charged with buying firearms of the type used to kill her own parents. No one has been charged in the Zajko parents' murders.

4. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS¶

Teresa Youngblut — Capital Murder Case¶

Date	Event
Jan 20, 2025	Arrested following shootout
Feb 6, 2025	Indicted on weapons charges (using deadly weapon against federal agents; discharging firearm during assault)
Feb 7, 2025	Pleaded not guilty to weapons charges
Jul 2025	Defense filed 21-page motion requesting extension to January 30, 2026 for death penalty mitigation evidence
Aug 14, 2025	Federal grand jury returned superseding indictment — adding murder charge
Aug 14, 2025	AG Pamela Bondi authorized death penalty; Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher filed notice of intent to seek capital punishment
Sep 5, 2025	Pleaded not guilty to all four charges (murder, two counts assault with deadly weapon, firearms offense)
Sep 2025	New defense attorney: Christine Lehmann, senior capital attorney at the Louisiana Crisis Assistance Center — specializes in clients with mental illness and intellectual disabilities
Nov 5, 2025	Status conference postponed; no new date set
Feb 5, 2026	Both prosecution and defense push for further delay
TBD	No trial date has been scheduled as of February 2026

Defense Strategy Indicators

The selection of Christine Lehmann — whose expertise centers on mental illness and intellectual disabilities — suggests the defense may raise competency or mental health issues. The 21-page filing arguing the DOJ timeline was "unprecedentedly tight" and denied Youngblut due process indicates the defense is preparing a substantial mitigation case. Vermont does not have the death penalty; however, because this case was charged in federal court, federal law applies.

Michelle Zajko — Firearms Charges¶

Indicted by federal prosecutors in Vermont for making false statements when purchasing firearms
Charged separately with firearms offenses in Maryland (possession of handgun, possession/attempted sale of assault weapon)
No charges filed for the murders of her parents, Richard and Rita Zajko

Maximilian Bentley Snyder — Murder of Curtis Lind¶

Charged with the January 17, 2025 stabbing death of Curtis Lind
Preliminary hearing set for April 21, 2026 in Solano County Superior Court, Vallejo (expected to last two days)
Snyder (22-23) was a data scientist and Zizian ideology follower
Applied for a marriage license with Teresa Youngblut in November 2024

Jack LaSota — Leader¶

Held without bail in Maryland (flight risk and danger to public safety)
Faces trespassing, obstruction, firearms charges in Maryland
Federal firearms charge filed in Vermont (June 2025)
9-14 misdemeanor counts in Maryland (firearms possession)

5. POLICY AND POLITICAL CONTEXT¶

Timing¶

The shooting occurred within hours of Trump's second inauguration — making it national news and a flashpoint for immigration enforcement debates. However, the circumstances of this case (cult members shooting at agents, not agents shooting at migrants) made it politically complex.

Northern Border Significance¶

The Swanton Sector (Vermont, parts of NY and NH) encompasses 295 miles of border with Canada
In fiscal year 2024, Swanton Sector agents apprehended nearly 20,000 people from 97 countries crossing from Canada — more than the previous 17 years combined
While southern border crossings declined, northern border encounters more than doubled compared to 2023
Border Patrol was anticipating migrants fleeing to Canada as Trump's immigration crackdown began

Agent Deaths and Use of Force¶

Maland was the first Border Patrol agent killed by gunfire in the line of duty since Agent Javier Vega Jr. in 2014
Since January 20, 2025, there have been at least 30 shootings by immigration agents, resulting in 8 deaths — an unusually high rate
Tom Homan (Border Czar) cited the northern border as a "national security vulnerability" in response

6. ASSESSMENT¶

Why This Case Is Different¶

Unlike other DHS shootings documented in this project:

An agent was killed first — Youngblut shot first, killing Agent Maland
Return fire was directed at armed subjects — both Bauckholt and Youngblut had firearms
Bauckholt was attempting to draw a weapon — the CBP report states an agent ordered her to stop; she refused
Cult members linked to multiple killings — this was not an unarmed migrant or bystander
The stop was based on legitimate intelligence — a week of surveillance following a report of armed individuals in tactical gear

Classification: This appears to be a legitimate use of deadly force by agents responding to an active deadly threat. It is not a case of excessive force, disputed shooting, or racial profiling.

Why Documented¶

Completeness: DHS shooting incidents should be documented regardless of circumstances
The Zizian cult context illuminates how radicalization operates across ideological lines
Bauckholt's trajectory — from math prodigy to cult victim to armed confrontation — is a cautionary tale about vulnerability to extremist recruitment
Agent Maland's service and sacrifice deserve documentation and remembrance

The Tragedy of Ophelia Bauckholt¶

This case defies simple categorization. Bauckholt was not an aggressor in the way Youngblut was — she did not fire at agents. But she was armed, was attempting to draw a weapon, and refused orders to stop. She was also, by all accounts, a victim of cult radicalization: a brilliant, altruistic young woman who was systematically isolated from her support network and drawn into a group connected to six killings.

Her friends' assessment — that she was "very naive, altruistic and trusting, and that makes her exploitable" — echoes the pattern of cult recruitment worldwide.

7. SOURCES¶

Tier 1 — Official Government Sources¶

Tier 2 — Major National Outlets¶

Tier 3 — Regional and Investigative¶

VTDigger — New Details in Deadly Shooting (May 15, 2025)
VTDigger — Grand Jury Returns New Indictment / Death Penalty Sought (Aug 14, 2025)
VTDigger — Youngblut Denies Murder Charge (Sep 5, 2025)
VTDigger — Defense Seeks More Time (Jul 1, 2025)
VTDigger — Prosecution and Defense Push for Delay (Feb 5, 2026)
VTDigger — Suspects Connected by Marriage License
Vermont Public — Woman Pleads Not Guilty to Murder (Sep 5, 2025)
Vermont Public — Border Patrol Agent Involved in Shooting

Tier 2-3 — Obituary & Memorial¶

Additional Sources¶

Every. Human. Matters.

Including Agent David "Chris" Maland, killed in the line of duty.

Including Ophelia Bauckholt, a brilliant young woman lost to cult radicalization.

Including Richard and Rita Zajko, Curtis Lind, and Emma Borhanian — all dead because of the Zizians.

Published by Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Methodology: Bellingcat-standard OSINT — public sources only
Three-source verification standard applied throughout