The Silicon Valley genius at the center of the Zizian trans 'death cult' tied to six killings

'Jack Amadeus LaSota near our lives but not our hearts connected August 19 aft a boating accident,' an obituary, published connected the Daily News-Miner on September 7 2022, read.

'Loving adventure, friends and family, music, blueberries, biking, machine games and animals, you are missed.'

LaSota, who utilized feminine pronouns, had been retired connected a vessel with her sister Naomi and person Emma Borhanian erstwhile she fell overboard into the San Francisco Bay.

The Coast Guard responded to the scene, searching the choppy waters for hours. Her assemblage was ne'er found.

It appeared to beryllium a tragic extremity for the promising, highly-educated 31-year-old whizz kid from Alaska who had moved to the Bay Area to prosecute a vocation successful the bosom of the nation's tech bubble.

That is until 3 months later, erstwhile - successful November 2022 - an aged antheral was brutally attacked successful Vallejo. Among those detained by cops connected the country was nary different than Jack LaSota.

Two months later, her shade would harvest up successful different funny determination erstwhile constabulary raided a edifice country during a hunt for a firearm utilized successful the murders of an aged mates successful Pennsylvania.

LaSota, it seemed, was backmost from the dead.

But not lone was she alive. Now, pursuing a bid of progressively bizarre, disturbing events, it has emerged that the whizz kid girl of an AI adept lies astatine the halfway of a twisted communicative that spans six murders oregon suspicious deaths crossed 3 states.

There was the onslaught connected the 80-year-old man, leaving him unsighted successful 1 oculus and with a Samurai sword sticking retired of his chest. 

Two years later, an assailant returned to decorativeness the job, slashing the now-82-year-old's pharynx successful wide daylight extracurricular his home.

There was the New Year's Eve execution-style murders of a mates successful their Pennsylvania home.

And determination was the Inauguration Day shootout between 2 suspects and Border Patrol agents successful Vermont, which near an cause and 1 of the suspects dead.

On their own, these cases are each shocking. And connected the surface, they look to beryllium unconnected.

Yet, each of these fearfulness events pb backmost to a loosely-connected extremist radical of highly educated, vegan and mostly transgender women that's been described arsenic a cult and dubbed by online observers arsenic the 'Zizians'.

Described arsenic a 'death cult' by those successful the know, Zizianism is an utmost offshoot of the rationalist question - a philosophical question based connected the content that crushed is the superior root of cognition - according to Open Vallejo. 

At the bosom of the Zizian cult lies a figurehead who goes by the sanction Ziz - an idiosyncratic antecedently known arsenic Jack Amadeus LaSota. Now, LaSota is simply a wanted fugitive successful 2 states.

It's a knotty, tangled web of violence, execution and faking deaths.

So however did this privileged, highly-intelligent, 34-year-old machine programmer upwind up astatine the bosom of a sprawling lawsuit that has perplexed and sent shockwaves crossed America?

Technological advancements seemed portion of LaSota's DNA. Her father, Dan, is an AI researcher for the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

LaSota followed a akin path, graduating from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a grade successful machine engineering. 

She interned astatine NASA and Oracle and, similar galore young tech entrepreneurs, 'moved to the Bay Area for proximity to the tech manufacture which I considered benignant of my destiny,' she wrote successful a 2019 blog post.

There, she had a stint astatine Google, took portion successful an apprenticeship by the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI) and the Center for Applied Rationality (CFAR) and became portion of a rationalist question successful Berkeley, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Jessica Taylor, a erstwhile probe chap astatine the AI probe non-profit MIRI told DailyMail.com she met LaSota astir 2015 oregon 2016 astatine an MIRI oregon rationalist event.

'We talked astir things similar erstwhile radical marque commitments (like New Year's resolutions) that effort to coerce oregon hindrance their aboriginal aforesaid and however this is confused and alternatives to it,' she said, adding that these are 'fairly mean ideas for self-help oregon rationality astir CFAR.'

Taylor said it was lone aboriginal that 'stuff got weird' and much extreme, pushing the content that radical person 'conflict betwixt their 2 encephalon hemispheres, lone 1 of which is good.'

LaSota began sharing these ideas and beliefs successful a blog, titled Sinceriously.

Taylor said LaSota amassed thing of a pursuing done the blog, including her ain person Felix Baukholt, who went by the sanction Ophelia.

The lengthy blog posts, which ran from 2016 to 2019, included titles specified arsenic 'My Journey to the Dark Side,' 'Vampires and More Undeath,' 'Punching Evil,' 'Self-Blackmail' and 'Engineering and Hacking Your Mind.'

In one, LaSota described 2016 arsenic the twelvemonth she made a 'turn to the acheronian side.'

But it was 2019 erstwhile LaSota archetypal deed headlines.

LaSota and 3 alleged accomplices - Alexander 'Somni' Leatham, Emma Borhanian and Gwen Danielson - descended connected CFAR's yearly retreat successful Westminster Woods, Sonoma County, that November and barricaded the exits.

The 4 protesters were dressed successful achromatic robes and Guy Fawkes masks and had flyers railing against the 2 nonprofit rationalist organizations CFAR and MIRI, the San Francisco Chronicle reported astatine the time.

'CFAR does not bash remotely what they assertion to bash connected their website: they bash not appreciably make caller rationality/mental tech,' 1 of the flyers claimed, per the Chronicle. 'CFAR's founding premise (that radical were blocked successful having the tools to think) was falsified agelong ago.'

Jerold Friedman, an lawyer who represented the radical successful a consequent civilian case, told DailyMail.com that the radical was really protesting implicit their content that radical astatine the lawsuit were engaged successful pedophilia.

Friedman said helium ne'er saw immoderate grounds to backmost up those claims. He said his clients claimed to person grounds to enactment their beliefs but the lawsuit was dismissed earlier it reached the constituent wherever specified grounds would beryllium shared.

DailyMail.com has contacted CFAR and MIRI for comment.

All 4 protesters were arrested connected charges including conspiracy, obstructing an serviceman and wearing a disguise for an unlawful purpose.

To defence lawyer Dan Kapelovitz, who represented LaSota successful the transgression case, it was 'a classical lawsuit of idiosyncratic being overcharged and falsely accused.'

'LaSota seemed similar a precise benignant and thoughtful idiosyncratic who cared astir animals and protested against injustice,' helium told DailyMail.com.

The transgression lawsuit ended up stalling successful the courts for years.

Meanwhile, the 4 defendants filed a civilian suit against Sonoma County alleging mistreatment pursuing their arrests, including being deprived of food, h2o and slumber successful jail.

Friedman said helium was hired by the radical because, similar them, helium is vegan and 'they wanted idiosyncratic who shared their values.'

From what helium saw, this was a radical of 'passionate,' 'non-violent' young people.

'These were 4 kids that conscionable struck maine arsenic precise cohesive, precise passionate and who cared astir the authorities of the satellite and not conscionable themselves,' helium said.

'They were committed to veganism and cared astir the narration betwixt humans and animals. They cared astir pedophilia and cared astir children… They precise overmuch believed successful what they believed in. They were passionate and, arsenic acold arsenic I saw, non-violent.'

In the outpouring of 2022, the lawsuit past took a bizarre turn.

Friedman said helium received accusation that Danielson had died by suicide.

Then, that August, helium learned LaSota had died successful a boating mishap successful San Francisco Bay.

In November, things got adjacent stranger.

Curtis Lind, an 80-year-old landlord successful Vallejo, was attacked by a radical of tenants erstwhile helium was called to hole thing successful a trailer. 

He was stabbed aggregate times and was impaled done the thorax with a sword.

During the attack, Lind managed to propulsion a weapon and unfastened occurrence connected his attackers.

Tenant Patrick McMillan told NBC Bay Area astatine the clip that Lind came knocking connected his doorway with a sword sticking retired of his chest.

'He banged connected my doorway and I woke up and came out,' helium said. 'He said 'I'm dying' and helium had humor squirting retired and a sword sticking done him.'

Lind miraculously survived but mislaid his close eye.

One of the attackers was LaSota's aged person Borhanian, who was changeable and killed successful the chaos.

Fellow alleged Zizians Leatham and Suri Dao were charged with Borhanian's murder, attempted murder, and aggravated mayhem.

'I was wholly gobsmacked,' Friedman said of the infinitesimal helium heard astir the Vallejo attack. 

He added: 'I've lone ever had 1 lawsuit wherever the different enactment died, ne'er wherever my enactment died. So to person adjacent 1 decease is conscionable bizarre.

'Then retired of the four, I had 1 dead, 2 others seemingly dormant and not communicating, and the 4th successful jail.'

Friedman informed the tribunal and the civilian lawsuit implicit the 2019 protestation was yet dismissed.

But, determination were inactive much surprises to come.

Kapelovitz, LaSota's transgression defence attorney, told DailyMail.com that helium got an email informing him that constabulary had encountered the precocious LaSota during the Vallejo attack.

'The lawman territory lawyer sent maine an email stating that LaSota was 'alive and well.' I similar 99.9 percent of my clients, truthful it is ever depressing erstwhile 1 of my clients dies,' helium said. 'So I was precise blessed to larn that LaSota was alive.'

Two months later, constabulary crossed the different broadside of the state would study a 2nd enactment with LaSota.

On New Year's Eve 2022, Richard Zajko, 72, and his woman Rita Zajko, 69, were changeable dormant wrong their location successful Chester Heights, Pennsylvania. 

Their bodies were recovered 2 days aboriginal erstwhile officers performed a payment check.

Investigators believed that the couple's girl Michelle Zajko was successful possession of the execution limb and truthful swooped connected the Candlewood Suites edifice successful Chester City wherever she was staying connected January 13 2023, according to a tribunal proceeding transcript seen by Open Vallejo.

The hunt did not crook up Zajko oregon the firearm. 

Instead, authorities recovered an idiosyncratic called Daniel Blank and LaSota wrong a edifice room.

LaSota was arrested and charged with disorderly behaviour and obstruction.

Had LaSota faked her ain death? And, mightiness Danielson person done the same?

In Danielson's case, Friedman said helium ne'er saw a decease certificate oregon grounds of her passing.

But, for LaSota's death, helium said helium obtained the US Coast Guard study astir her evident drowning and the hours-long hunt successful vain arsenic evidence.

Yet, present she was precise overmuch live and good and accounted for connected the East Coast.

Not for long, however. After being released connected bond, LaSota skipped retired connected respective tribunal dates. A warrant is present retired for her arrest. DailyMail.com has tried to interaction LaSota and her begetter for comment.

The whereabouts of Zajko, who was named a idiosyncratic of involvement successful her parents' murders, besides stay a mystery.

But, thing would past hap astir precisely 2 years connected that thrust the murders of her parents into the spotlight erstwhile again.

At astir 3pm connected January 20 2025, Donald Trump had been sworn successful arsenic the 47th president and was taking portion successful a bid of inauguration events.

At the precise aforesaid time, a US Border Patrol cause stopped a bluish Toyota Prius Hatchback with North Carolina licence plates for an migration inspection successful Coventry, Vermont.

Inside was Felix Baukholt, a German national and quantitative trader who authorities said astatine the clip appeared to person an expired visa, and Teresa Youngblut, a 21-year-old machine subject pupil from Washington.

According to the affidavit, Youngblut pulled a weapon and opened occurrence connected the agents. Baukholt past besides tried to propulsion retired a gun.

Agents returned fire, sidesplitting Baukholt and wounding Youngblut.

Border Patrol Agent David Maland was killed successful the gunfire.

A hunt of the suspects' car allegedly uncovered guns, ammunition, cellphones wrapped successful aluminium foil, 2 walkie-talkies, 2 full-face respirators and tactical cogwheel - including a ballistic helmet, night-vision-goggle monocular, and a tactical belt.

According to the affidavit, investigators had been carrying retired surveillance connected Baukholt and Youngblut since January 14 aft they acceptable disconnected alarm bells erstwhile they checked into a edifice dressed successful all-black tactical benignant covering and carrying a firearm.

A nexus rapidly emerged betwixt this deadly shootout successful Vermont and the Zizians.

According to prosecutors and the Pennsylvania State Police, the 2 guns utilized by Youngblut and Baukholt had been purchased by a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the treble homicide of Rita and Richard Zajko: Michelle Zajko.

Prosecutors besides allege that Bauckholt flew into the US conscionable hours earlier the murders.

Youngblut and Zajko were besides 'acquainted with and person been successful predominant interaction with an idiosyncratic who was detained by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during that homicide investigation; that idiosyncratic is besides a idiosyncratic of involvement successful a homicide probe successful Vallejo, California,' prosecutors wrote successful a tribunal filing.

That idiosyncratic is not named successful the documents. It is unclear if that refers to LaSota.

After quality of the Vermont shooting and Baukholt's decease broke, Taylor posted connected X: 'I retrieve informing Ophelia that Zizians were a decease cult with a precocious section decease rate.'

She told DailyMail.com that she had spotted a signifier for 'a fig of deaths successful this group' and had tried to pass her friend. She past heard from Baukholt, who went by Ophelia, successful aboriginal 2023 and fears she became radicalized.

When asked astir her absorption to learning her person was progressive successful the Vermont shooting, she said she was 'surprised but not shocked, due to the fact that Ophelia was a instrumentality of Ziz, truthful could person been radicalized.'

It seems Youngblut's household was besides acrophobic for her safety.

In May 2024, she was reported missing with constabulary records, seen by NBC News, citing fears that she was successful a controlling relationship.

The transportation betwixt the Vermont shooting and the vegan cult doesn't extremity there.

In November, Youngblut and an Oxford University postgraduate named Maximilian Snyder applied for a matrimony licence, The Associated Press reported.

And successful what marks yet different twist successful this sprawling saga, 3 days earlier the Border Patrol shooting, Snyder is accused of murdering nary different than Curtis Lind.

More than 2 years had passed since the onslaught connected Lind and helium was acceptable to go the prima witnesser successful his alleged attackers' trial.

On January 17, Lind was approached extracurricular his location by a antheral dressed successful each black.

Witnesses told the San Francisco Chronicle that the antheral stabbed the 82-year-old aggregate times successful the thorax and ran disconnected - lone to instrumentality to slit his throat.

Snyder was arrested and charged with Lind's murder, with prosecutors alleging the 82-year-old was killed to soundlessness him from testifying to the 2022 attack.

Once again, the lone happening connecting each these cases and this sprawling web of events is the alleged Zizian cult.

For Friedman, the way of decease and demolition near successful the aftermath of the cult doesn't wed with 'the 4 kids' who were 'non-violent' and 'cared astir the authorities of the world' backmost successful 2019.

'We person successful nine this junction,' helium said.

'So we person this precocious perfect past sometimes we volition bash the opposite.'

He offered an analogy.

'How galore radical profess to emotion animals but what bash they eat?' helium said.

'I spot that aforesaid signifier - you tin person radical who are precise passionate but they person an objection for thing else. That's the mode our nine is.'