Daughter of murdered couple arrested with alleged cult leader
Maryland State Police on Sunday arrested Michelle Zajko, the daughter of a murdered couple, along with Jack LaSota and Daniel Blank on Piney Mountain Road in Frostburg. The trio faces multiple charges.
Zajko has been charged with trespassing, obstruction, resisting arrest, and possession of a handgun. All three suspects are currently held at Allegany County Detention Center, with a bail hearing for Zajko and LaSota scheduled for February 18.
Who is Ziz? The mysterious leader of the Zizians
According to the Associated Press, Jack LaSota is the leader of a cult-like group called the Zizians, with Zajko believed to be a member.
LaSota, who operates under the name Ziz, started a blog in 2016, promoting an extreme form of rationalism, ethical veganism, and anarchism. She gained attention in online rationalist communities before breaking away with a group of “isolated and vulnerable” followers, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Jessica Taylor, an AI researcher who met LaSota, claimed that she urged her followers to commit violence and refuse to pay rent.
The Zizians are described as a group of young, highly intelligent computer scientists, most in their 20s and 30s, who are believed to have formed online through shared anarchist beliefs.
Zizian connections to protests and murders
The first major public incident involving the Zizians occurred in November 2019, when LaSota and others were arrested at a protest in Northern California. The group was demonstrating outside an event hosted by the Center for Applied Rationality, accusing them of sexual misconduct.
The murders tied to Zizian members
Zajko Family Murders (2022)
On New Year’s Eve 2022, Richard and Rita Zajko were shot and killed in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania. Police reported hearing a voice yell, “Mom!” during the shooting.
Michelle Zajko was questioned but not immediately charged. However, she was considered a person of interest.
Border Patrol Agent Killing (2024)
In January 2024, U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland was killed in Coventry, Vermont near the Canada-U.S. border.
The suspected shooter, Teresa Youngblut, was traveling with Felix Bauckholt, a German national. The gun used in the attack was owned by a person of interest in the Zajko murders.
More killings linked to the Zizians
Authorities believe the Zizians are involved in at least four additional homicides in Vermont and California.
