A member of the radical collective known as the Zizians has been charged with two counts of first‑degree murder for the deaths of her parents.
Michelle Zajko, 33, who is transitioning from female to male, faced the charges in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The indictment cites the December 31, 2022 shooting of her father, Richard Zajko, 71, and mother, Rita Zajko, 69.
The murders occurred in the family home in Chester Heights on the day Zajko turned 30. Authorities say the killings were premeditated.
District Attorney Tanner Rouse described a multi‑year investigation that assembled extensive evidence linking Zajko to the crime. He emphasized that the case was built on a series of corroborating pieces rather than a single definitive item.
Prosecutors indicated that Zajko did not act alone and that additional participants were involved in the homicides.
Neighbor‑recorded doorbell footage from New Year’s Eve captured a voice shouting “Mom!” followed by another exclamation. The audio was presented as part of the evidentiary record.
Prior to the attack, Zajko’s mother had sent a text seeking reconciliation after a period of estrangement. Zajko never responded to the message.
Investigators discovered the bodies on January 2, 2023. Rita Zajko suffered a gunshot wound to the back of her head, while Richard Zajko sustained gunshot injuries to his right hand and temple.
Zajko has been detained since February 2022 on unrelated charges. She has consistently denied involvement, previously suggesting her father might have killed her mother before taking his own life.
The Zizians are led by Jack Amadeus LaSota, who identifies as a transgender woman. The group promotes radical veganism, artificial‑intelligence alignment theories, and fringe ideas about split consciousness, sometimes framed in violent or self‑defensive terms.
Law enforcement officials have linked the organization to at least six deaths across multiple states between 2022 and 2025. The group’s activities have drawn scrutiny for their extremist tactics.
In November 2022, members attacked an 82‑year‑old California landlord, Curtis Lind, during a dispute over unpaid rent. Lind was stabbed repeatedly, including a severe head wound inflicted with a samurai‑style sword, and a Zizian member, Emma Borhanian, was killed during the confrontation. Two participants, Alexander “Somni” Leatham and Suri Dao, have been charged with murder, attempted murder, and aggravated mayhem.
Lind later died from a stabbing in January 2025, days before he was scheduled to testify. Maximillian “Audere” Synder has been charged in connection with that killing.
On January 20, 2025, Zizian members Teresa Youngblut, 21, and Ophelia Bauckholt, 27, engaged in a shootout with U.S. Border Patrol near the Vermont‑Canada border. Agent David Maland was killed, and Bauckholt also died in the exchange. Youngblut now faces federal firearms charges.
LaSota was arrested in Maryland in February 2025 on unrelated charges and is considered a person of interest in several homicides. Prosecutors continue to investigate his role in the group’s violent activities.
The Zizians remain under intense scrutiny as authorities connect the collective to a pattern of violent incidents spanning the United States.
