German national’s body cremated, document says

By Michael Donoghue

After a three-week delay, a death certificate now shows a German National died from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest during a shootout with the U.S. Border Patrol in Orleans County in January.

Felix Bauckholt, 28, of Breisgau, Germany died within seconds or minutes of getting shot on Interstate 91 in Coventry about 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 20, according to Dr.  Kathleen R. McCabben, deputy chief medical examiner.

McCabben ruled the death a homicide.

Bauckholt is listed as transgender by some news accounts and went by the name “Ophelia.”  The death certificate did not list a sex, but had a listed occupation for quantitative researcher in the trading industry.  

McCabben wrote Bauckholt was “shot by other during incident with US Border Patrol.”  The doctor listed the time of the shooting as 3:12 p.m. and the time of death as 3:26 p.m. 

It was unclear why the Office of Vermont’s Chief Medical Examiner held onto the death certificate for three weeks before releasing it Tuesday afternoon.

A spokeswoman said the chief medical examiner’s office does not answer media questions. 

Asked for an explanation, Vermont Health Department spokesman Kyle Kasteel, offered no comment.

Bauckholt’s death was certified on Jan. 22, but never registered until Feb. 3, records show.

The body was cremated by Steven C. Gregory & Son  Cremation Service of South Burlington on Feb. 3, according to the public death certificate.  

The remains were shipped back to Germany by Gregory’s.  

By comparison, Border Patrol Agent David “Christopher” Maland, 44, of Newport had his death certified on Jan. 22 and registered the following day. 

He died from a single gunshot wound to the neck about 4 p.m. at North Country Hospital in Newport after being rushed by a police cruiser.

Meanwhile Bauckholt’s companion in the car,  Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Washington State remains behind bars in South Burlington indicted on two federal felony assault charges.

She denied the intentional use of a deadly weapon while forcibly assaulting, resisting, impeding and interfering with a U.S. Border Patrol Agent while he was performing his lawful duties on Jan. 20.

The other not guilty plea was for a felony charge of knowingly brandishing and discharging a Glock model 23 .40-caliber pistol during “the forcible assault with a deadly weapon” — a crime of violence that she knew she might face in federal court.

The federal grand jury also wants Youngblut to forfeit the Glock seized from her and any live ammunition from the magazines for the gun, if she is convicted.

Vermont News First initially broke the story about the double homicide in Coventry, the subsequent arrest of Youngblut and the new indictment against her.

Youngblut, who was wounded, was driving Bauckholt’s car when the Border Patrol ordered it to pull over, officials said.

Officials believe Youngblut fired two shots with one of them wounding the veteran Border Patrol Agent.

Evidence at the scene appears to indicate that one or more Border Patrol Agents managed to fire seven 9-mm bullets.  It is unknown how many hit Youngblut, but she was hospitalized for five days.  

Maland was joined by two other Border Patrol members just before the shooting started, officials said.  One report indicated that one was a trainee or probationary agent, and the other was a Field Training Officer.

A Glock .40-caliber pistol, two spent casings and two .40-caliber magazines were seized on the ground near Youngblut, records show.

A .380 caliber pistol also believed to be owned by the suspects was confiscated near Bauckholt’s body, they note.  He did not fire any shots before he was fatally wounded.

When Youngblut eventually appeared in federal court on Jan. 27, she walked gingerly and had her right arm in a sling.  She had trouble raising her right hand to take an oath in court last Friday.

Her parents, Eric and Carla Youngblut of Seattle, Wash., have sat in the second row behind the defense table for all three federal court hearings, including her arraignment last Friday.

They have declined to speak to reporters. The suspects were in a blue 2015 Toyota Prius hatchback with North Carolina registration plates. 

A court-ordered search of the car uncovered various pieces of tactical gear, including a ballistic helmet, night-vision-goggle monocular, a tactical belt with holster and a magazine loaded with cartridges, the FBI said.

Investigators also found two full-face respirators, 48 rounds of .380-caliber jacketed hollow point ammunition and a package of shooting range targets, including some that were used.

Also seized were two-way radios, about a dozen electronic devices and multiple removable electronic storage devices, various identification documents, utility, lease, travel and lodging information for multiple states and a journal maintained by Youngblut, records show.