The Zizians: A Strange and Dangerous Techno-Cult

Zizians are often characterized by their unusual blend of lifestyles.

Imagine a group where computer games intersect with rigorous debates on gender identity and marriage licenses. As an offshoot of the rationalist community — inclusive of different genders and individuals with bachelor's degrees in fields like computer science — it seeks to challenge conventional norms.

The group gets its name from Ziz LaSota, a transgender woman who has written extensively on the purported existential threat of artificial intelligence. While not the group's recognized leader, LaSota does seem to inhabit space on a Venn diagram where the other members, especially those in serious legal trouble, all intersect.

Whether or not a true cult, the Zizian's unconventional approach has occasionally placed them under scrutiny by authorities, including homeland security and various county sheriff's offices. After various violent incidents, they have become recognized as a dangerous fringe group.

The Zizians have frequently made headlines through confrontations involving law enforcement agencies like the Pennsylvania State Police and Allegany County Sheriff's Office.

Incidents range from disorderly conduct to obstructing law enforcement during routine immigration inspections. Court records reveal numerous traffic stops involving concealed and loaded handguns, prompting significant concerns about public safety.

There are at least six deaths associated with the Zizians. The degree of violence is striking, given how small the group seems to be, and given their founding ideals of saving humanity from an A.I. catastrophe.

Probably the most notable event involved Border Patrol Agent David Maland, whose killing made national headlines. But the violence began before that incident.

One of the most infamous event involving Zizians was the murder of a man named Curtis Lind. Members of the Zizians were renting property owned by Lind, and after a dispute, there was a confrontation that ended in Lind being ambushed and nearly killed.

During the violent confrontation, Lind shot two of his assailants and killed one of them, 31-year old Emma Borhanian. The other, Alex Leatham, was wounded.

A lengthy investigation and court case ensued but came to a shocking and violent end when Lind was murdered near his property in Vallejo, California, in January 2025.

Maximilian Snyder was the alleged killer. He had connections with the Zizians, including with Teresa Youngblut, with whom he applied for a marriage license, and who would appear in another lethal incident.

Richard and Rita Zajko, parents of one member, Michelle, were murdered on New Year's Eve, 2022, and authorities named Michelle, who was living in Vermont at the time, as a person of interest in the murder.

Michelle Zajko had been known in the rationalist community, and had moved from the Bay Area to northern Vermont in 2021. After finding that Zajko and her partner had a gun on the property, as well as shooting range targets, police later arrested her from a hotel room in Pennsylvania.

Initially held pending trial, there have been delays as additional charges have been filed, and the stack of court documents on this case — connected with the others — continues to grow.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent killed on January 20, 2025, has also been linked to the Zizians. David Maland, the Border Patrol agent, made a traffic stop that detained Ophelia Bauckholt, a German citizen who had been living in the U.S. on a work visa, as well as another Zizian-linked individual, Teresa Youngblut.

A shootout ensued, during which Maland and Bauckhholt were both killed, while Youngblut was wounded. Authorities linked both Bauckholt and Youngblut to the Zizians, although the precise nature of the relationships is muddy.

Zizians aren't strangers to internal controversies. Their complex social dynamics have occasionally escalated into incidents of extreme violence, but most of the conflicts have played out in long blog posts and on message boards with arguments about rationalism, effective altruism, veganism, trans rights, epistemology and various other topics.

Conflicting interests within the rationalist group have led to serious disputes over property owned collectively, as well as allegations that some members attempted to avoid paying rent through questionable means.

Even seemingly minor incidents involving box trucks or disagreements with hotel employees have spiraled into serious court hearings.

Stories about the Zizians seem weirdly unstable, with apparent tragedy later revealing deception by the group members.

Take for instance one incident to which the Coast Guard responded. At the time, it was claimed that Ziz LaSota had fallen overboard and was later declared dead in San Francisco Bay. However, it turned out that her death had been deliberately faked [source: Open Vallejo].

Court appearances involving Zizians continue to captivate media attention, with Associated Press reports highlighting cases ranging from tactical style clothing disputes to carrying concealed weapons without permits.

And then, there are the murders, the cases of which are still ongoing. This continuing legal drama ensures that Zizians will remain extremely vulnerable to public and legal scrutiny for the foreseeable future.