The Chilling Truth About The Zizians: 7 Shocking Facts On The Vegan Rationalist Cult And Jack LaSota's Downfall

The Zizians, a cult-like group that emerged from the fringes of the online rationalist community, have become the subject of intense national scrutiny following a series of violent incidents and arrests that have continued into late 2025. This once-obscure collective, led by the enigmatic blogger known as "Ziz," is no longer just an internet curiosity; it is now formally linked to at least six violent deaths across multiple US states. The latest court proceedings and ongoing investigations paint a chilling picture of how extreme philosophical ideas—specifically a radical interpretation of "applied rationality"—can allegedly spiral into a deadly, real-world danger. As of December 2025, the legal saga surrounding the Zizians and its alleged leader, Jack LaSota, remains one of the most compelling and disturbing cases in modern American crime. The group's journey from a Bay Area-based community of radical vegans and computer programmers to an alleged "death cult" has brought new focus to the dangers of online radicalization and the dark side of philosophical extremism. This article dives deep into the group's origins, its core beliefs, the shocking timeline of violence, and the current legal status of its key members.

The Enigmatic Leader: Who is Jack "Ziz" LaSota?

The Zizians movement is inseparable from the figure who founded and allegedly directed it: Jack LaSota, known online by the alias "Ziz." The full biography of the alleged cult leader reveals a complex and unsettling transition from an intellectual online presence to a criminal suspect.

• Full Name: Jack Amadeus LaSota (formerly).
• Online Alias: "Ziz."
• Age: 34 (at the time of recent arrests).
• Gender Identity: Identified as a transgender woman.
• Occupation: Computer Programmer, Blogger, and Philosophical Writer.
• Origin: Native of Delaware County (Delco native), Pennsylvania.
• Base of Operations: Primarily based in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, including Berkeley.
• Community Ties: Was a former, though controversial, member of the broader online "rationalist community," particularly associated with the LessWrong website.
• Criminal Charges: Currently facing multiple charges, including trespassing, gun, and drug offenses in Maryland, and is linked to multiple murder investigations in other states.

LaSota's early life saw them engaging with the rationalist movement, a philosophical and social movement that promotes using evidence-based reasoning and cognitive science to improve decision-making—often referred to as "applied rationality." However, LaSota's blog posts and subsequent actions allegedly twisted these principles into a dangerous, insular ideology that demanded absolute obedience and, eventually, violence.

Fact 1: The Cult's Roots in 'Applied Rationality' and Veganism

The Zizians are often described as a "techno-cult" that arose from a specific niche of the internet. Their core ideology is a radicalized version of "applied rationality," a concept popular in Silicon Valley circles. This philosophy, in its original form, encourages people to "de-bias" their thinking and make decisions based purely on logic and evidence. However, the Zizians allegedly used this framework to justify extreme, and ultimately criminal, behavior. Members were reportedly convinced that their leader's rationalist pronouncements were infallible, creating an echo chamber of extreme beliefs. The group also adhered to an extreme form of veganism, which further isolated its members from mainstream society. This combination of radical rationalism and an ascetic lifestyle formed the foundation of the Zizians' rigid, cult-like structure. Anna Salamon, the director of the Center for Applied Rationality, even compared the Zizian belief system to that of a doomsday cult, highlighting the stark deviation from mainstream rationalist thought.

Fact 2: A Chilling Timeline of Six Violent Deaths (2022–2025)

The Zizians gained national notoriety not for their philosophy, but for the shocking violence that followed their activities. The group is formally linked to a series of six violent deaths spanning three states over a three-year period. The timeline of alleged Zizian violence includes:

• 2022 Murders: Three deaths occurred in 2022, including the murder of a Delaware County couple. The alleged leader, Jack LaSota, was initially arrested in 2022 after being found with the daughter of the murdered couple.
• January 2025 Shootout: The most high-profile incident occurred in January 2025 in Vermont. A routine traffic stop escalated into a deadly shootout that resulted in the death of a US Border Patrol Agent, David 'Chris' Maland, and a passenger in the Zizians' vehicle.
• Later 2025 Deaths: The group is linked to at least two other fatalities in 2025, bringing the total to six.

This string of events, culminating in the death of Agent Maland, brought the full weight of federal and state law enforcement down on the group, leading to the subsequent arrests of its core members.

Fact 3: Recent Arrests and Ongoing Court Battles in 2025

The investigation into the Zizians remains a major news story in late 2025, with court proceedings providing the latest updates. The alleged ringleader, Jack LaSota, was arrested in Maryland along with two other key members, Michelle Zajko, 33, and Daniel Blank, 26. They were initially charged with non-homicide offenses, including trespassing, gun, and drug charges, but the arrests were directly connected to the larger murder investigations. In a Maryland court, LaSota was ordered held without bail, underscoring the severity of the charges and the flight risk posed by the alleged cult leader. Furthermore, a Zizians group member pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges in September 2025, while a separate case against another murder suspect was halted due to a judge's concern over the defendant’s competency to stand trial. These ongoing trials highlight the complex legal challenges in prosecuting a group whose actions are rooted in a bizarre, shared philosophical delusion.

Fact 4: The 'Show Her The Body' Allegation and Cult Behavior

Reports from the investigation have revealed disturbing details about the group's alleged internal dynamics and the nature of the violence. The group is alleged to have operated with "kill orders," and one particularly chilling instruction was reportedly "Show her the body," suggesting a level of calculated, ritualistic violence. The behavior exhibited by the Zizians—including absolute loyalty to LaSota, isolation from family and friends, and the justification of violence through a warped ideology—firmly aligns with the classification of a dangerous cult. The transition from an online philosophical discussion to a group capable of murder serves as a stark warning about the potential for social media to radicalize individuals into cult-like activity.

Fact 5: The Connection to the LessWrong Rationalist Community

The Zizians did not appear out of thin air; they emerged from the broader online "rationalist community," particularly the platform LessWrong. This connection is crucial for understanding the group's origins. LaSota, as "Ziz," was a prolific blogger whose writings were initially part of this intellectual discourse. However, the Zizians' extreme beliefs were quickly flagged by others in the community. The rationalist movement itself has since been forced to reckon with the fact that one of its former members allegedly used its philosophical tools to justify criminal violence. The group's actions have created a permanent stain on the public perception of "applied rationality" and the communities that promote it.

Fact 6: The Group's Nomadic and Isolated Lifestyle

Prior to the arrests, the Zizians lived a largely nomadic and isolated lifestyle, moving between various locations, including the San Francisco Bay Area and eventually being apprehended in Maryland. Their radical veganism and anti-establishment views contributed to their separation from mainstream society, a common tactic in cult formation. This isolation made tracking the group difficult for law enforcement. The January 2025 traffic stop in Vermont, which led to the Border Patrol agent's death, was the pivotal moment that finally exposed the full scope of the group's activities and allowed authorities to piece together the timeline of previous, unsolved murders.

Fact 7: The Future of The Zizians and Legal Precedents

The ongoing trials against Jack LaSota, Michelle Zajko, Daniel Blank, and other alleged members will set important legal precedents. The prosecution must not only prove the criminal acts but also contend with the complex philosophical and psychological factors that allegedly motivated the group. The Zizians case is a modern example of a "death cult" that utilized internet platforms to recruit and radicalize, presenting a challenge to both law enforcement and the legal system. The outcome of the Maryland and Vermont trials in 2025 and 2026 will determine the fate of the alleged cult members and provide a definitive legal conclusion to the chilling saga of the Zizians.