Richard and Rita Zajko were found killed in their house in Chester Heights on December 31, 2022. Their daughter, Michelle Zajkohas become a person of interest after the authorities discovered their links with people associated with the Ziziens. She was questioned but refused to cooperate and then fled a Pennsylvania state police barracks, abandoning her vehicle and $ 40,000 in cash, NBCNews.com reported.
For almost two years, the case is not resolved. However, recent developments have rekindled attention, especially after Zajko and two partners were arrested in Maryland for intrusion and accusations of weapons. A prosecutor revealed to the court that he was part of a group “linked to several homicides that occurred in the United States”.
NBCNews.com reported that the Ziziens came from the rationalist community in Berkeley, California, and were linked to at least six violent deaths. The members were involved in crimes ranging from a Samurai sword attack in California to the murder of an elderly man planned to testify against them. The group would be led by the computer scientist and blogger of Alaska, Jack “Ziz” Lasota, who identifies himself as a woman. Lasota was one of those questioned in the investigation into the murder of Zajkos and was later arrested in Maryland alongside Zajko.
Although no accusation has been filed in the murder of the Zajkos, their family and their friends hope. “I hope there will finally be justice for Rich and Rita,” said a family friend at Nbcnews.com.
Who are the Ziziens? A trace of violence across the United States
The Ziziens, an enigmatic group with roots in the rationalist community of Berkeley, are now examined for their alleged involvement in multiple violent crimes in the United States. The prosecutors linked the group to at least six violent deaths, including business in Pennsylvania, Vermont and California.
Zajko’s murder affair
On December 31, 2022, Richard and Rita Zajko were found killed in their house in Chester Heights. Their daughter, Michelle Zajko, quickly became a person of interest, but managed to escape the authorities for almost two years. Although no one has been charged in their murders, prosecutors say that Zajko and two partners – also linked to the Ziziens – were arrested in Maryland for intrusion and accusations of weapons.
Among the arrested people were Jack “Ziz” Lasota, the alleged chief of the group, with another partner, Daniel Blank. “They were part of a group linked to several homicides in the United States,” said a prosecutor before the court.
A model of deadly attacks
The Ziziens were linked to a series of violent incidents across the country:
January 2024 (Vermont): Two Zizian members, Ophelia Bauckholt And Teresa Youngblut, were involved in a shooting with agents of the border patrol, resulting in the death of agent David Maland. Bauckholt was killed in the exchange, while Youngblut was injured and arrested later.
2022 (California): A Samurai sword attack left a member of the group who died after his planned victim – an elderly man – returned to self -defense.
Early 2024 (California): The survivor of the samurai attack, Curtis Lind, was later stabbed outside his house. Another ziz member has since been charged in his murder.
Who are the Ziziens?
Emerging from the rationalist community of Berkeley, the Ziziens present themselves as intellectuals focused on existential threats such as artificial intelligence. However, law enforcement officials have linked them to several violent crimes, which raises whether they operate as an organized criminal network or a vaguely connected movement.
The authorities continue to study the group’s structure and motivations, while prosecutors work to discover the full extent of their influence. For the families of the victims, the search for justice continues. “We still have no answers,” said a friend of the murdered zajkos family. “I hope there will finally be justice for Rich and Rita.”
