Zachary Young , is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actor Cody Kasch. Zach is the mentally unstable adopted son of Paul and Mary Alice, he found love in the form of Julie Mayer who befriended him. Zach eventually got her to agree to let him stay in her bedroom after he had escaped from a juvenile rehabilitation center. This innocent infatuation turned into a strong obsession, and he was dumped by Julie. Early in the show's first season, Zach was disturbed with visions of killing his younger sister, Dana. However, later it was discovered that Zach's original name was "Dana".