The charges brought against a woman linked to the Zizians, a group known for its cult-like behavior, have taken a dark turn as she faces murder, burglary, and conspiracy charges in the deaths of her parents.
Michelle Zajko, 33, is accused of arranging the killings on her 30th birthday, and investigators believe she did not act alone. The victims, Rita and Richard Zajko, were found shot to death in their Chester Heights, Pennsylvania, home on New Year's Eve 2022.
Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said investigators have built a strong case through years of work, including cellphone analysis, ballistic evidence, and footage from a neighbor's doorbell camera. The video recorded two people arriving at the home shortly before the killings and captured someone shouting "Mom!" moments before the shootings.
Authorities have also recovered shell casings that matched ammunition linked to Zajko's Vermont property and backyard firing range. Rouse stated, "If she wasn't the one who actually pulled the trigger, she was certainly aligned with those who did." Zajko has denied involvement in the killings.
Prosecutors said Zajko had become estranged from her parents in the year before their deaths. Hours before the killings, Rita Zajko texted her daughter to apologize for the rift between them and wish her a happy birthday. The text went unanswered. Authorities have long identified Zajko as a person of interest in the case.
She is also accused of supplying the firearm used in the January 2025 killing of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland, one of several deaths authorities have linked to alleged members of the Zizians. Zajko's attorney has declined to comment, as has the Delaware County Public Defender's Office.
