Member of trans vegan cult pleads not guilty to killing Border Patrol agent in first hearing on murder charge

Member of trans vegan cult pleads not guilty to killing Border Patrol agent in first hearing on murder charge
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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.

This undated image, courtesy of Joan Maland, shows U.S. Border Patrol agent David Maland, who was killed Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, following a traffic stop in Vermont.  (David Maland/Joan Maland via AP)

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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