The recent shooting of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland near the Canadian border, along with several other murders across Vermont, Pennsylvania, and California, are believed to be connected to a peculiar cult-like organization.
Insights gathered from interviews and social media activities reveal a disturbing trend among a group of young computer scientists known for their intelligence, who are increasingly embracing violent actions.
Maland, 44, tragically lost his life in a shootout on January 20 during a traffic stop in Coventry, Vermont, a town situated roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Canada. Teresa Youngblut, a 21-year-old from Washington state, has been charged with two weapon-related offenses tied to this incident.
She was accompanied by Felix Bauckholt, a German national, who is also referred to in court documents as Ophelia. Both individuals are linked to an online cult-like group referred to as “Zizians,” named after a blogger who goes by the name “Ziz.” Authorities had been monitoring Youngblut and Bauckholt for several days after a hotel staff member reported seeing Youngblut with a firearm.
During the incident, Bauckholt was killed, but officials have not detailed the specifics of the altercation. Youngblut’s attorney has opted not to comment, and she entered a not guilty plea in federal court on February 7.
Jack LaSota, a 34-year-old from Berkeley, California, operates a dark, often aggressive blog under the moniker Ziz. In one section, she postulates a theory regarding the two hemispheres of the brain, suggesting they possess distinct values and genders, which may lead to a desire to destroy one another.
She identifies as a transgender woman and frequently criticizes rationalist organizations, primarily those that exist online and focus on understanding human cognition through empirical evidence. Some groups express concerns about the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence.
Anna Salamon, the executive director of the Center for Applied Rationality, indicated that when LaSota distanced herself from the rationalist community, she brought along a group of “highly vulnerable and isolated” followers. It was reported that a landlord in North Carolina had been renting two apartments to Bauckholt and Youngblut, and that LaSota had been cohabiting with Bauckholt until recently.
The initial arrests linked to this group occurred in November 2019 when LaSota, along with three others, protested outside a retreat center in Northern California where a rationalist group was conducting an event, claiming they were standing against sexual misconduct within the organization.
In California, a landlord named Curtis Lind sought eviction of LaSota, Borhanian, Leatham, and others who had ceased paying rent as of 2022. Lind was attacked days prior to a scheduled eviction, leading to him shooting one assailant, killing Borhanian while also sustaining a serious injury himself.
Lind’s self-defense justification led to criminal charges against the surviving attackers, Leatham and Dao. Recently, on January 17, the 82-year-old landlord was murdered, and Maximilian Snyder, a 22-year-old who had applied for a marriage license with Teresa Youngblut, has been accused of the crime.
Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, Rita and Richard Zajko were tragically shot on New Year’s Eve 2022. Their daughter, Michelle, became a person of interest and was later detained at a hotel in Pennsylvania without formal charges against her.
LaSota was also present at the hotel and was arrested for not cooperating with law enforcement, facing charges of obstructing justice and disorderly conduct. Six months after her initial release on bail, LaSota vanished and failed to appear for subsequent court dates.
Her defense attorney maintains her complete innocence regarding the allegations raised, but LaSota has not responded to attempts for communication by various news outlets. Currently, her location remains unknown, and arrest warrants have been issued for her, as she continues to miss required court appearances.
