CUMBERLAND, Md. — A Maryland court has ordered that the leader of a fringe group allegedly involved in six murders across three different states be held without bail. Jack LaSota, 34, along with two other members of the group, appeared via video link for their bail hearings in Allegany District Court and were deemed too dangerous to release.
During the court proceedings, Allegany County State’s Attorney James Elliott informed the judge that LaSota has a history of faking her own death and is suspected to be the head of an extremist faction known as the Zizians, which has come under scrutiny for multiple violent incidents. LaSota, who uses the alias Ziz online, requested to be released while awaiting trial, citing her homelessness and lack of transportation. She pleaded for a vegan diet in jail, expressing concern about her health and stating that she felt “in a mild state of delirium” due to insufficient food intake. “I haven’t done anything wrong,” LaSota claimed.
Allegations against the group include their connection to the death of a woman in an attack on a landlord in California in November 2022, the slaying of that landlord in January, and the murders of a couple from Pennsylvania. Most recently, the group was involved in a shootout on a highway in Vermont that resulted in the deaths of a U.S. Border Patrol agent and a passenger in a vehicle involved.
Michelle Zajko, whose parents were among the Pennsylvania victims, was arrested alongside LaSota and Daniel Blank. All three individuals faced charges of trespassing and obstructing law enforcement after a local resident reported suspicious activity involving two box trucks parked on his property. Officials noted that these trucks were found in a secluded wooded area near the Maryland-Pennsylvania border.
Zajko, 32, also faced additional charges for resisting arrest and having a handgun in her possession, while LaSota was charged for possessing a firearm in a vehicle. The arresting officers noted that the three were dressed in black, with two of them equipped with gun belts containing ammunition. A rifle was discovered in one truck, and a handgun was located on the floor of the driver’s side. When confronted by police, Zajko reportedly resisted being handcuffed and was forcibly subdued.
Elliott stated that two firearms purchased by Zajko are linked to the January shooting death of Border Patrol Agent Chris Maland in Vermont. In that incident, Felix Bauckholt, a passenger, was also killed, and Teresa Youngblut, the driver, has pleaded not guilty to federal weapons charges. Authorities indicated that the firearms used were traced back to a person of interest in the December killings of Richard and Rita Zajko in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania, and that Youngblut had connections to an individual involved in a homicide case in Vallejo, California.
Furthermore, Maximilian Snyder, who had filed for a marriage license with Youngblut, is charged with the stabbing death of a Vallejo landlord who had previously survived an attack from the Zizian group and was slated to testify against them.
Details surrounding the extensive investigation remain scarce, but interviews and document reviews reveal a narrative of a group of youthful and intelligent tech enthusiasts who formed an extremist group online, with anarchist ideologies that have progressively escalated into violence. Their motivations remain unclear; however, discussions have encompassed radical veganism, gender identity issues, and the implications of artificial intelligence. At the heart of the group is LaSota, a transgender woman known for her provocative and sometimes violent online writings under the name Ziz.
Rebecca Francoeur-Breeden, LaSota’s public defender, indicated that she has been in contact with LaSota’s mother since the arrest. She highlighted LaSota’s academic credentials, including a degree in computer engineering. “This is a very, very bright person we’re dealing with,” Francoeur-Breeden remarked.
The same attorney is also representing Zajko and Blank, who did not comment on their charges during the hearing. Instead, their attorney described them as high-achieving individuals with notable educational backgrounds. Francoeur-Breeden described Blank, 26, as a “brilliant young man” facing significant mental health challenges and revealed that he had been previously listed as missing before his arrest. Blank’s stepfather addressed the court, stating that he had not seen Blank in two years but was prepared to secure local housing to ensure his appearance at court proceedings.
Reports from Pennsylvania state police indicate that Blank shared a residence with Zajko in Vermont. Earlier this year, during the investigation into the slaying of Zajko’s parents, police detained both LaSota and Blank at a hotel where Zajko was staying, though Blank was not charged. LaSota faced charges previously for obstructing law enforcement and for disorderly conduct.
