Zizians Cult Linked to String of Violent Deaths Across U.S.

December 18, 2025 -

Zizians' Ties to North Carolina: Rental Properties and FBI Investigation Uncovered

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The fringe rationalist group known as the Zizians, linked to a series of violent deaths across multiple states, had a brief but noticeable presence in North Carolina, where several members rented properties in a quiet wooded neighborhood outside Chapel Hill prior to a deadly 2025 shootout in Vermont.

Authorities revealed the North Carolina connection in February 2025, following the January 20 killing of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland during a traffic stop near the Canadian border. Two individuals involved in the incident—Teresa Youngblut (also known as Milo) and Ophelia Bauckholt (also known as Felix or Ophelia)—had been living in rental homes in Chatham County, near Chapel Hill.Bauckholt began renting half a duplex in the area in July 2023, while Youngblut moved into a nearby condo in November 2024. Reports indicate that Jack "Ziz" LaSota, the transgender blogger perceived as the group's central figure, had also stayed in the area as recently as winter 2024-2025.

Landlords and neighbors described unusual activity at the properties: tenants often wore long black coats, parked box trucks outside, ran extension cords from vehicles into the homes, and kept items like a stretcher in one truck. No violent incidents were reported in North Carolina itself, but the residences became a focal point for investigators tracing the group's movements.

On February 5, 2025, FBI agents executed a search in the neighborhood as part of a cross-state probe into the Zizians' alleged involvement in six deaths, including Maland's killing, the 2022 murder of a Pennsylvania couple, and attacks on a California landlord that left one group member dead.

The group, an extreme offshoot of the Silicon Valley rationalist community emphasizing radical veganism, anarchism, and unconventional AI ethics, had relocated eastward after earlier conflicts and nomadic living in California (including attempts to form a "Rationalist Fleet" on boats). Their time in North Carolina appears to have been a transitional phase before the Vermont confrontation, where Bauckholt died in the gunfire and Youngblut was arrested.

As of late 2025, LaSota and several associates remain in custody on various charges, with federal authorities continuing to investigate potential ideological motivations behind the violence. No further Zizian activity has been reported in North Carolina since the FBI search. The case continues to raise questions about radicalization within online intellectual circles.

December 18, 2025

BERKELEY, Calif. — What began as a splinter faction within the Silicon Valley rationalist community has evolved into one of the most bizarre and tragic stories in recent American crime: the Zizians, an informal group of highly educated individuals espousing radical views on veganism, anarchism, gender identity, and artificial intelligence, now tied to six violent deaths in three states.

The group, named derogatorily after its perceived leader, transgender blogger Jack "Ziz" LaSota, rejects the label "Zizians" and insists it has no formal structure or hierarchy. Yet federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies describe LaSota as the central figure in an "extremist" collective whose members have been implicated in murders spanning California, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.

Authorities link associates of the group to the killings of four individuals: a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont, a landlord in California, and a Pennsylvania couple who were parents of one alleged member. Two group associates also died in confrontations during these incidents.

The saga gained national attention in early 2025 following a fatal shootout near the Canadian border. On January 20, Border Patrol Agent David Maland was killed during a traffic stop involving Teresa Youngblut and Ophelia Bauckholt, both connected to the group. Bauckholt died in the exchange of gunfire, while Youngblut was wounded and arrested.

This incident connected to earlier violence: In November 2022, Emma Borhanian, a former Google employee and group associate, was killed after allegedly attacking landlord Curtis Lind in Vallejo, California, stabbing him multiple times. Lind survived but was later stabbed to death in January 2025 by Maximilian Snyder, another alleged associate. In December 2022, Richard and Rita Zajko were found murdered in their Pennsylvania home; their daughter, Michelle Zajko, a group member, has been named a person of interest.

LaSota, 34, and several followers were arrested in Maryland in February 2025 on charges including trespassing and weapons violations. Prosecutors have portrayed LaSota's online writings—posted on her blog under the moniker "Ziz"—as influential in radicalizing members. Topics range from ethical veganism and AI existential risks to unconventional theories, such as the idea that brain hemispheres can have distinct genders or conflicting interests.

Rooted in the broader rationalist movement—popularized by online communities like LessWrong and tied to effective altruism—the Zizians represent an extreme offshoot. They advocate uncompromising opposition to perceived moral wrongs, drawing on twisted interpretations of decision theories that emphasize never yielding to "blackmail" or societal norms.

Conflicts with mainstream rationalist organizations, including accusations of ethical lapses at groups like the Center for Applied Rationality (CFAR) and the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI), led to the Zizians' isolation. Some members lived nomadically, including attempts to form a "Rationalist Fleet" on boats.Experts and former associates describe the group as cult-like, with charismatic influence and insular ideology potentially justifying violence. "They stretched rationalist beliefs to justify breaking laws," one AI researcher who knew members told reporters.

As of late 2025, multiple members await trial on murder and related charges. The FBI continues coordinating investigations across states, probing whether LaSota's philosophy directly incited the killings.The case has sparked debate within rationalist circles about ideological extremes and raised broader questions about how online intellectual communities can veer into danger. For now, the Zizians remain a cautionary tale of radicalization in the digital age. 17GEN4.com