Trans vegan cult member charged with murder over New Year's Eve execution of parents in upscale East Coast suburb

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 02:07, 25 June 2026 | Updated: 02:07, 25 June 2026 A member of the trans vegan 'death cult' has been charged with the brutal murder of her parents on her 30th birthday in Philadelphia. Michelle Zajko, 33, has been accused of the murder of Richard and Rita Zajko, who were gunned down on December 31, 2022. 'It was an exhaustive investigation and it took years to pull together,' Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.  'But we are finally at the point where we can say beyond a doubt that Michelle Zajko was at least in part responsible for the death of her parents.'  Zajko, who is transitioning from female to male, was found to have ties to the so-called Zizians. The group, many of which being transgender, are known to be 'rationalist' vegans who are said to hold ideological beliefs about transhumanism and animal rights. A string of brutal and deadly incidents followed alleged members of the Zizians, including an attack on an 80-year-old man who later died.  The charges against Zajko come after a neighbor's doorbell footage from the New Year's Eve murder captured a voice shouting, 'Mom!' and another who was heard exclaiming, 'Oh my god! Oh, God, God!' Zajko had allegedly received a text message from her mother who was looking to mend their relationship after they had become estranged earlier that year, according to Rouse.  The couple's bodies were discovered days later on January 2, 2023, as Rita, 69, was found with a gunshot wound to the back of her head and Richard, 71, suffered a gunshot wound to his right hand and right temple.  Michelle Zajko, 33, has been accused of the murder of Richard and Rita Zajko, who were gunned down on December 31, 2022 - Zajko's 30th birthday Richard, 71, seen left, suffered a gunshot wound to his right hand and right temple and Rita, 69, seen right, was found with a gunshot wound to the back of her head Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said that investigators had gathered a substantial amount of evidence, including allegedly text messages and ballistics analysis Zajko, who has been jailed since February 2022 on different charges, denied killing her parents, and suggested instead that Richard had shot his wife and then himself, The Guardian reported.  'I didn't murder my parents,' Zajko wrote in April 2025.  However, Rouse said that investigators had gathered a substantial amount of evidence, including allegedly incriminating text messages and ballistics analysis.  Zajko, with the help of one other person, allegedly took on an alias and bought firearms. On the evening of New Year's Eve, Zajko left their mother's text message unanswered but a vehicle was seen approaching Rita and Richard's home 'several hours later' before two people got out.  According to Rouse, investigators discovered shell casings at the scene of the murders that matched a gun found in Zajko's Vermont home, where a firing range was discovered in the backyard.   'We don't have a smoking gun. It is piece after piece after piece of evidence that's been collected painstakingly over years,' Rouse said on Wednesday.  Rouse said that investigators had not uncovered who Zajko had conspired with, but confidently said: 'She did not act alone.' Zajko, who has been jailed since February 2022 on different charges, denied killing their parents, and suggested instead that Richard had shot his wife and then himself Rachel Zajko, Richard's sister-in-law, said the loss of Rita and Richard brought on 'unspeakable grief and sorrow' The couple's bodies were discovered on January 2, 2023, in their Pennsylvania home 'In the three plus years since the murders of our beloved Rita and Rick, we have lived with unspeakable grief and sorrow,' Rachel Zajko, Richard's sister-in-law, said on Wednesday. 'There were countless days of darkness and despair. Days when it was difficult, almost impossible to hold onto the belief and hope and expectation that this day would eventually arrive.  'We are deeply and forever grateful and thankful for those public servants who carried us through the dark days to this long awaited day.'  Zajko's murder charge in the case marks the latest of the Zizian group's involvement in a string of violence over the years.  The 'death cult' were comprised of many highly educated individuals, seemingly obsessed with artificial intelligence and led by a figurehead who goes by the name Ziz - a person previously known as Jack Amadeus LaSota.  LaSota, who was born male but identifies as female, was accused of influencing members of the Zizians to kill.  The cult leader also allegedly faked her own death in 2022 and is wanted across two states.    After incidents cropped up over the years, the Zizians violent history was thrown back into the spotlight last year after a Border Patrol agent was gunned down in Vermont.  Border Patrol agent David Maland was killed during a shoot-out in Vermont in January 2025 Teresa Youngblut, the 21-year-old driver in the fatal traffic stop, allegedly pulled a gun on the Border Patrol officers and opened fire on Janaury 20, 2025 A routine traffic stop on January 20, 2025, turned violent after Teresa Youngblut, the 21-year-old who was driving, and Ophelia Bauckholt, Youngblut's 27-year-old transgender passenger, pulled guns on the officers.  The pair, who were dressed in all black 'tactical' clothing, were already under police surveillance after staff at the motel they had been staying at became suspicious.  They were both found with their phones wrapped in tinfoil, in an attempt to avoid being tracked, and Youngblut was seen openly carrying a gun.  As an officer went to check Bauckholt's visa, Youngblut allegedly got out of the vehicle and opened fire on the officers, according to the FBI.  At least one of the officers fired back and, in the ensuing shoot-out, a Border Patrol agent named David Maland was killed, along with Bauckholt - who had drawn a handgun but died before she could fire it.  Youngblut now faces federal firearms charges relating to Maland’s death, which she denies. Investigators say they found ammunition, a helmet, night-vision devices, a holster, walkie-talkies and shooting-range targets in the car. They are also said to have found Youngblut’s diary, some of it encrypted in code, in which she mentions taking the hallucinogenic drug LSD.   A local estate agent said the black-clad pair had been looking to buy an isolated, ‘off-grid’ property in the area.  Youngblut is captured on CCTV at the motel where she was staying with Ophelia Bauckholt The 'death cult' were comprised of many highly educated individuals,  led by a figurehead who goes by the name Ziz - a person previously known as Jack Amadeus LaSota, pictured Youngblut is a computer scientist, educated at one of Seattle’s smartest private schools. Her parents reported her missing in May of 2024 after she suddenly left home with a couple of duffle bags of personal belongings, including her passport and medical records. Ophelia Bauckholt, referred to in court documents by her birth name Felix, was described by friends as a ‘math genius’ who earned $500,000 a year working for a financial trading firm in New York. Both were found to be intertwined with the Zizians, who were linked to at least six killings, one attempted murder and one faked death.  The six victims include the 82-year-old California landlord, Curtis Lind, who lost his eye to an attack before he had his throat slit two years later.  Alexander 'Somni' Leatham, a transwoman and member of the cult, and fellow members, Emma Borhanian and Suri Dao, were accused of Lind's 2022 murder.  Both Leatham and Dao were charged over Lind's death - which stemmed from a dispute over unpaid rent. Borhanian was killed during the attack on the elderly landlord.  Leatham and Dao face charges of murder, attempted murder and aggravated mayhem in the death of Borhanian. Lind had walked away from the initial confrontation alive but lost an eye after he was stabbed by a samurai sword allegedly by Leatham.  The six victims include an 82-year-old California landlord, Curtis Lind, who lost his eye to an attack before he had his throat slit two years later over an alleged dispute over unpaid rent Alexander 'Somni' Leatham faces charges of murder, attempted murder and aggravated mayhem in the death of fellow cult member Emma Borhanian, who was killed during the attack on Lind Suri Dao faces charges of murder, attempted murder and aggravated mayhem in the death of fellow cult member Emma Borhanian, who was killed during the attack on Lind After inspecting Dao's trailer, of which he planned to evict the cult members from, Lind was hit on the back of the head and blacked out.  He told police that he awoke with around 50 stab wounds, the sword in his torso, and all three cult members stood over him.  The Vallejo landlord was the only witness left to testify against the cult members, until he was murdered in a separate knife attack just before he could testify in January 2025.  In Lind's murder, Maximillian 'Audere' Synder, an Oxford University graduate and fellow cult member who was engaged to Youngblut, was arrested and charged and awaits trial.  Back in 2019, the group allegedly held a protest by blocking the exists of the Westminster Camp and Conference Center with multiple vehicles while dressed in robes and Guy Fawkes masks. Community warnings posted in online forums about the group cite the protest and the 2022 stabbing as evidence of their potential danger. Jessica Taylor, a friend of Bauckholt's, who she knew as 'Ophelia,' claims she tried to protect her friend against the strange 'cult.' Taylor says she warned Bauckholt about 'Zizians,' calling them a 'murder gang.' The Vallejo landlord was the only witness left to testify against the cult members, until he was murdered in a separate knife attack just before he could testify in January 2025 In Lind's murder, Maximillian 'Audere' Synder, an Oxford University graduate and fellow cult member who was engaged to Youngblut seen above, was charged and awaits trial She added that she fell out of communication with Bauckholt in late 2023. It is not clear what kind of, if any, structure the group has. She said the group believes in timeless decision theory, a Rationalist belief suggesting that human decisions and their effects are mathematically quantifiable. The Zizians also apparently believe that because there are two hemispheres in the brain, individuals can split their consciousness between two personalities by waking one side at a time, Taylor said.  She said veganism and animal rights are central to the ideology. A bio for an Instagram account that appears to belong to Youngblut reads, 'talk to me about being vegan and AI alignment.' Snyder and Youngblut's social media posts and accounts reportedly displayed beliefs consistent with Zizianism but their accounts have since been removed. Court records do not explicitly tie them to the ideology. The Daily Mail reached out to Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse for comment.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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