Arrests Made in Homicide Investigation Involving Suspects from Cultlike Group ‘Zizian’

According to a statement released on Monday, Maryland State Police have apprehended two people believed to be affiliated with a cultlike faction called the Zizians.

The main suspect, 34-year-old Jack LaSota, was arrested on Sunday alongside 33-year-old Michelle Zajko, a resident of Media, Pennsylvania. They both face several charges, including trespassing and unlawful possession of a firearm in a vehicle.

These arrests occur within the framework of an ongoing multi-state investigation into a series of violent events linked to the Zizians. The group is under suspicion for being connected to six homicides in Vermont, Pennsylvania, and California, including the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

The agent, identified as 44-year-old David Maland, was fatally shot during a routine traffic stop on January 20 near the Canadian border in Coventry, Vermont, as reported by authorities.

Research from the Associated Press, which included interviews and reviews of court documents and online postings, indicates that the Zizians are primarily composed of young, highly educated computer scientists in their 20s and 30s. The members, reportedly meeting online, share anarchist beliefs and have seemingly become increasingly violent.

The group’s goals remain ambiguous, but their online writings span a broad array of subjects, including radical veganism, gender identity, and artificial intelligence.

LaSota, who identifies as a transgender woman and uses she/her pronouns, operated a blog under the name Ziz, believed to be the alias of the group’s leader. In one blog post, LaSota theorized that “the two hemispheres of the brain could hold distinct values and genders and ‘often desire to kill each other.’”

The blog also included critiques of what LaSota termed “rationalist groups,” primarily online communities dedicated to understanding human cognition through reason and knowledge. Some of these groups express concerns about the potential threats posed by artificial intelligence.

Before her recent arrest, LaSota had skipped court dates in two states, leading to the issuance of bench warrants.

Daniel McGarrigle, LaSota’s attorney, chose not to comment on any potential links between his client and the alleged homicides. Following the arrest over the weekend, McGarrigle confirmed his prior representation of LaSota but declined to offer any details about the current proceedings.

A bail hearing for both LaSota and Zajko is set for Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Allegany District Court, as indicated by court records.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.