Breakthrough in US Crime: Cult Leader of ‘Zizian’ Group Arrested Linked to Multiple Murders

BOSTON (AP) — Maryland State Police arrested Jack Lasota, 34, and Michelle Zajko, 33, over the weekend. They are linked to a group called the Zizians and face serious charges like trespassing and possessing a handgun.

The bail hearing for Lasota and Zajko is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday at Allegany District Court.

The Zizians have been implicated in a number of violent incidents. This includes the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland, killed in a January shootout near the Canadian border. The group is also connected to five other homicides across Vermont, Pennsylvania, and California.

Details of the investigation remain scarce. However, it appears to have emerged after Maland’s death on January 20 during a traffic stop in Coventry, Vermont. Reports suggest that the Zizians include a group of young, intelligent individuals, mainly computer scientists in their 20s and 30s. They formed online, united by anarchist beliefs, and spiraled into violence.

While their goals are unclear, their online writings touch on diverse topics, including radical veganism, gender identity, and even artificial intelligence.

At the center of this group is Lasota, known online as “Ziz.” She’s been spotted near crime scenes and has ties to several suspects. Under the name Ziz, she ran a blog that contained dark theories, including ideas about the brain’s hemispheres wanting to “kill each other.”

Lasota, who identifies as a transgender woman and uses she/her pronouns, has expressed rage against groups that rely on rational thinking to understand human behavior. Some of these groups have raised alarms about the risks of artificial intelligence.

Despite multiple attempts, Lasota has not responded to inquiries from the Associated Press. Her attorney, Daniel McGarrigle, declined to comment on her involvement in any crimes and would only confirm his representation of her. Before her arrest, Lasota had missed court dates in two states, leading to bench warrants for her arrest.

Source link

Michelle Zajko, Jack Lasota, David Maland, Law enforcement, Crime, Vermont, Homicide, Pennsylvania, General news, MD State Wire, VT State Wire, Associated Press, Gender, U.S. news, Daniel McGarrigle, Maryland, Border security, Indictments