Chester Heights couple killed in theiir home New Year's Eve 2022
The double murder of a Delaware County couple in December 2022 has been linked to the fatal shooting of Border Patrol Agent David "Chris" Maland in Vermont, according to information reported by the Associated Press.
Richard and Rita Zajko were shot and killed inside their home in Chester Heights on New Year's Eve 2022.
Teresa Youngblut, 21, faces federal firearms charges in the Jan. 20 death of Agent David Maland. She’s accused of opening fire on agents during a traffic stop in northern Vermont, sparking a shootout that also left her companion, German national Felix Bauckholt, dead.
Pennsylvania state police said Wednesday that the gun used in the Vermont shooting was purchased by a person of interest in the Dec. 31, 2022, killings of Richard and Rita Zajko, who were shot to death in their Chester Heights home. Both Youngblut and the buyer were in frequent contact with someone who was detained as part of the Pennsylvania investigation and is a person of interest in another killing in California.
The Zajkos were found dead in their home at 18 Highland Drive in Chester Heights Borough on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. Authorities said they were shot to death on Dec. 31, 2022.
Anyone with information about the Zajko's deaths is asked to call the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop K, Media at 484-840-1000 or anonymously contact the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers Toll Free at 1-800-4PA-8477.
