A series of chilling homicides across three states has cast a disturbing spotlight on a little-known cultlike group that calls themselves the “Zizians”. Named after a controversial blogger known only as “Ziz”, this band of mostly young computer scientists has alarmed authorities with their apparent descent into violence. As investigators work to connect the dots between murders spanning the country, a troubling picture has begun to emerge.
The Coventry Shootout
The first major crack in the case came on January 20th, when a routine traffic stop near the Canadian border in Coventry, Vermont ended in tragedy. Border patrol agent David Maland, 44, was gunned down in a shootout with the vehicle’s occupants – 21-year-old Teresa Youngblut of Washington state and her companion, German national Felix Bauckholt.
Bauckholt, who also went by “Ophelia”, was killed in the exchange of gunfire. Youngblut now faces serious weapons charges in connection with the agent’s death. Hints of the pair’s involvement with the Zizians quickly surfaced, setting federal agents on the trail of the mysterious group.
Rationalist Retreat Chaos
The story took a bizarre turn with reports of a violent confrontation at a northern California retreat center in late 2019. A group of Zizian members, including the gender non-conforming Jack LaSota, Emma Borhanian, Gwen Danielson and Alexander Leatham, were arrested while protesting outside an event held by a “rationalist” organization.
The group claimed they were demonstrating against alleged sexual misconduct within the rationalist community, but the details remain hazy.
Rationalist Event Organizer
Sword Attack on Landlord
Tensions boiled over in Vallejo, California in November 2022 when landlord Curtis Lind tried to evict Borhanian, LaSota, Leatham and other Zizian tenants for non-payment of rent. Two days before the deadline to vacate, Lind was viciously attacked by Leatham, Borhanian and another member named Suri Dao, according to prosecutors.
In a scene of gruesome violence, the landlord shot his assailants, killing Borhanian and wounding Leatham, who impaled Lind with a sword, causing him to lose an eye. Authorities deemed Lind’s actions self-defense. Dao and Leatham were charged for their role in the bloody incident.
New Year’s Eve Double Murder
Perhaps the most chilling crime in the Zizian saga unfolded on New Year’s Eve 2022 in sleepy Chester Heights, Pennsylvania. Rita and Richard Zajko were found shot dead in their home under still-murky circumstances. Suspicion soon fell on their daughter Michelle, who was taken into custody at a Pennsylvania hotel several weeks later alongside Zizian member Jack LaSota.
While Michelle Zajko was questioned and released, LaSota was arrested and charged with obstruction and disorderly conduct for allegedly hindering the investigation. He made bail but has since vanished, with bench warrants now out for his arrest in multiple states as investigators work to unravel his role in the group’s activities.
A Tangled Web
As authorities pull threads in the case, a tangled web of cult behavior, fantasy worlds and real-world violence has begun to unravel. From the remote forests of Vermont to the sunny California coast, the Zizians’ trail of destruction has left communities shaken.
- Why did this group of apparently bright young people turn to killing?
- What is the influence of the shadowy “Ziz” figure on her fanatical followers?
- How many more Zizians may be planning violence at this very moment?
These are just some of the urgent questions on investigators’ minds as they work to prevent further bloodshed and unravel the Zizian mystery. The world watches with bated breath as this strange and unsettling true crime saga unfolds, with the specter of this cultlike collective haunting the nation’s consciousness. Where the Zizian path of chaos and killing will end, only time will tell.
