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In the wooded periphery of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a landlord perceived unusual activities at two of his rental properties. Tenants donned long black coats and parked large box trucks in the vicinity. An electrical cord connected one truck to a condo, while another unit contained a stretcher.
A neighbor remarked on similarly dressed figures wandering in the dark, holding hands in silence. The FBI subsequently investigated the properties following a tragic incident in Vermont in which one of the recent tenants was killed in a shootout with U.S. Border Patrol agents, while another tenant was arrested. A third individual, known online as “Ziz,” remains elusive, with authorities linking their cult-like group to six fatalities across three states.
Details about the ongoing investigation, which gained traction after the January 20 shooting death of a Border Patrol agent during a traffic stop, have been sparse. Interviews and court records highlight the story of an online collective comprised mainly of young, adept computer scientists in their 20s and 30s who shared radical beliefs and have increasingly resorted to violence.
The group’s motives remain ambiguous, with their online discussions covering topics such as radical veganism, gender identity, and artificial intelligence. Central to this narrative is “Ziz,” potentially the group’s leader, and a figure seen near several crime scenes with connections to various suspects. Notably, Ziz was previously declared dead but reemerged amid further violent events.
Who is Ziz?
Jack LaSota, who adopted the name Ziz, relocated to the San Francisco Bay area after completing a computer science degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2013 and undertaking an internship at NASA, as suggested by her online profile. Though NASA did not confirm her internship, a profile matching her name exists on a site about past interns.
In 2016, LaSota began a somber blog under the moniker Ziz, theorizing that the brain’s hemispheres could embody divergent values and genders that often conflict violently. Using she/her pronouns, LaSota identifies as a transgender woman and expressed hostility toward perceived adversaries, including rationalist communities that explore human cognition through reason and knowledge, sometimes with caution regarding the risks of artificial intelligence.
She promoted a potent blend of rationalism, ethical veganism, anarchism, and other ideologies, according to AI researcher Jessica Taylor, who communicated with LaSota in both online and in-person contexts. As LaSota distanced herself from the rationalist community, she attracted a group of followers described as “extremely vulnerable and isolated,” shared Anna Salamon’s insights, the executive director of the Center for Applied Rationality.
Taylor commented on how followers justified violent actions through rationalist ideologies, claiming that they believed it reasonable to resist eviction. Poulomi Saha, a professor specializing in cult studies, suggested that LaSota’s writings likely resonated with marginalized individuals, making them feel understood, which is often a critical element in the creation of groups labeled as cults.
LaSota has not replied to numerous inquiries from the Associated Press, and her attorney declined to comment on her association with any deaths. She has several missed court dates in two states, leading to bench warrants for her arrest.
Ziz and followers’ first run-in with the law
In November 2019, LaSota participated with several followers in a protest at a Northern California retreat center, where the Center for Applied Rationality was hosting an event. Following their blockade of the center’s exits and the distribution of fliers criticizing the organization, law enforcement employed a SWAT team. The protest focused on accusations of sexual misconduct within the rationalist community.
As legal proceedings against LaSota and her associates were still pending in August 2022, authorities responded to a report regarding LaSota’s potential drowning in San Francisco Bay. Though her body was never recovered, her mother confirmed that she had passed away, and an obituary was circulated.
However, shortly thereafter, Ziz reappeared.
A landlord is attacked in California
By the fall of 2022, LaSota moved in with several group members, including Emma Borhanian and Alexander Leatham, into vans and box trucks on property owned by Curtis Lind in Vallejo, about 30 miles north of San Francisco. A source, wishing to remain anonymous for safety reasons, described Borhanian as a thoughtful individual with high intelligence, having been employed at Google during her college years.
On November 13, as Lind attempted to evict the group over unpaid rent, Borhanian allegedly participated in a violent confrontation, during which Lind was attacked and ultimately fatally shot Borhanian in self-defense. Legal conclusions determined Lind’s actions were justified, leading to charges against Leatham and another follower for murder and attempted murder.
While police believe LaSota was present at the criminal scene, she was not apprehended.
An elderly couple is killed in Pennsylvania
On New Year’s Eve of 2022, Richard, 71, and Rita Zajko, 69, were fatally shot in their Chester Heights, Pennsylvania home, as recorded by their doorbell camera, which captured chilling audio of the incident. A state police investigation found the couple deceased in an upstairs bedroom when they failed to arrive for a prior engagement.
Authorities later interviewed the couple’s daughter, Michelle, in Vermont before detaining her a few weeks later at a Pennsylvania hotel, where LaSota was also present and subsequently arrested for obstructing law enforcement and disorderly conduct.
Six months following her bail release, LaSota ceased attending court appearances.
The landlord in California is found dead
As the landlord’s case progressed, Lind was considered the sole eyewitness to the earlier attack, pressing prosecutors to expedite the trial. However, on January 17, Lind was found dead, having suffered a fatal injury at the same location as the initial incident.
Maximilian Snyder, 22, was charged with murder pertaining to Lind’s death. He appeared in court briefly on February 6, merely to request new legal representation, though the details of his identification as a suspect remain unclear. Snyder is currently in custody in Solano County Jail.
A Border Patrol agent dies in a shootout in Vermont
On January 20 in Vermont, U.S. Border Patrol agents detained a vehicle linked to the Ziz group after a hotel worker reported seeing one of the individuals brandishing a firearm. During the stop, Teresa Youngblut, driving the vehicle, allegedly opened fire, resulting in the deaths of the passenger and a Border Patrol agent, David Maland.
Younger agents discovered tactical gear, ammunition, and other equipment linked to the suspects. Youngblut, who was injured in the incident, has since pleaded not guilty to firearms-related charges and has familial ties to Snyder, the accused landlord’s murderer.
The last sighting of Ziz
Both Youngblut and the deceased passenger, Felix Bauckholt, had been residing in the North Carolina properties, where odd occurrences had been reported. LaSota was also among the residents as recent as this winter, as confirmed by the landlord, who expressed concerns for his safety regarding the situation.
Another neighbor recounted seeing individuals clad in black robes and tactical attire in the neighborhood, claiming they seldom emerged during daylight hours, preferring nocturnal walks together, seemingly displaying strong bonds of care and support for one another.
Source
www.cbsnews.com