The Justice Department announced on Thursday that a woman is facing allegations of killing U.S. Border Patrol agents in Vermont, with the death penalty being pursued for certain members of a cult-like group called Gigian.
Theresa Young Brute, a 21-year-old from Washington, is part of a faction of radical computer scientists who focus on topics like veganism, gender identity, and artificial intelligence. This group has been linked to the murders of six individuals across three states. Young Brute was charged with fatally shooting agent David Malland on January 20, coinciding with President Trump’s inauguration and the signing of an executive order that rolled back a suspension on federal enforcement.
Initially, Young Brute was charged with using a deadly weapon against law enforcement and firing a gun during the attack. However, the Trump administration hinted at more serious charges, and with a new indictment revealed on Thursday, she now faces charges related to the murder of a federal officer and additional crimes.
In February, Attorney General Pam Bondy mentioned Malland in the context of hoping federal prosecutors would pursue the death penalty in a case involving the murder of a law enforcement officer. Young Brute’s defense team claimed they were given a deadline of July 28 to present preliminary evidence to avoid facing such severe punishment, but a request for an extension until January was denied by the judge.
At the time of the shooting, authorities had been monitoring Young Brute and her cohort, Felix Buckholt, after a hotel employee in Vermont reported seeing a firearm and observing them in black tactical gear. Young Brute is alleged to have opened fire on a border agent who had stopped their vehicle on Interstate 91.
The duo was part of a following led by Jack Lasota, a transgender woman also known as Ziz. Members of their group have been connected to incidents involving the deaths of their own members during a 2022 attack on California landlords, as well as the murder of more landlords earlier this year, not to mention the death of a parent tied to Pennsylvania members.
Ziz Cult
Authorities are looking into potential connections between murders across the nation and the “Gijian” cult, which claims a number of highly educated transvegan “rationalists” among its members.
Jack “Ziz” Lasota
Lasota, who has posted about topics including “transhumanism,” has been accused of having influenced her followers to commit murder. Some group members suggest that Lasota has died, although many speculate this is a ruse to evade law enforcement. Lasota has also used the alias “Andrea Phelps.”
Alexander “Somni” Leesam and Amir “Ema” Boranian
Two members of the group are accused of attacking a man named Curtis Lind in Solano County, California. During the assault, Lind lost his eyesight, then later shot and killed the Boranians. He had intended to testify against Leesam and another attacker tied to Ziz.
Maximilian Bentley Snyder
Snyder was arrested for murdering 82-year-old Lind to prevent him from testifying. Lind was attacked and killed on January 17 outside his home in California.
Teresa “Milo” Consuelo Young Bruto and Felix “Ophelia” Backholt
Younger Brute is said to have shot and killed Malland. The incident took place when agents stopped the vehicle of Young Brute and Buckholt. Following the encounter, Buckholt lost his life in a fire, while Young Brute is currently in custody.
Michelle Jacqueline Zaico
Zaico is emerging as a person of interest concerning the deaths of her parents, Rita and Richard Zaico. Allegedly, the gun used in the Border Patrol attack had been purchased by Michelle, who is described as a trans-non-binary adult child.
The Zaico couple was reportedly murdered under mysterious circumstances in Pennsylvania in early 2023.
Lasota and two others are also facing weapons and drug charges in Maryland, where Lasota was arrested earlier this year. An additional group member, charged in relation to a landlord’s murder in California, had reportedly planned to marry Young Brute.
In Vermont, the death penalty was abolished in 1972. The last person sentenced to death in the state under federal accusations was Donald Fell in 2005 for a murder committed five years prior. However, that conviction was overturned due to prosecutorial misconduct, and he later pled guilty to a lesser charge, receiving a life sentence instead.
