‘Zizian cult' could be tied to Border Patrol agent death

Yahoo

13-02-2025

Coventry, VT (myCV) – As details about the shooting death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont continue emerging, new information now shows the two people who were pulled over and involved in the shooting may have ties to a group that's been described as a 'dangerous cult.'
Jessica Taylor, a woman who knew Felix 'Ophelia' Bauckholt, the other person killed in the shootout with border patrol on January 20, said Wednesday that Bauckholt may have been a member of a group that some have described to be 'highly intelligent, transgender, vegan' individuals, known as the 'Zizians.' Many of the group's alleged members are facing charges in connection to other killings across the country, including recent ones in California and Pennsylvania.
'I'd say we were pretty close during the year 2022,' Taylor said, referring to Bauckholt.
Taylor remembers Bauckholt as being a thoughtful and intelligent person in 2022, who had strong interests in things like mathematics, technology and ethical veganism. She says the last time she spoke with Bauckholt was in 2023, not long before she thinks Bauckholt may have joined the Zizians.
'Ophelia had some secret phone calls during summer 2023, and then later on, like later in the year, she kind of dropped off the radar and cut off contact with everyone,' Taylor said.
To paint the picture of how the shooting that claimed the life of Border Patrol Agent David 'Chris' Maland might have ties to other killings nationwide, you have to go back to at least New Year's Day 2022. That's when a couple named Richard and Rita Zajko were found dead in their Pennsylvania home, a case that's still largely unsolved according to Pennsylvania State Police.
Authorities say the slain Pennsylvania couple's daughter, Michelle Zajko, is a prime suspect in their killings. Zajko is not only known to own property in Coventry, Vermont, but according to Associated Press reporting, Pennsylvania State Police say she also purchased the guns that were in Bauckholt and Youngblut's possession.
Furthermore, Youngblut filed for a marriage license in November 2024 with a person named Maximilian Snyder, who's now being charged in the death of 82-year-old Curtis Lind, a California landlord. Lind was killed just three days before Agent Maland.
Taylor says this complicated web appears to lead back to one person: Jack 'Ziz' LaSota, who was arrested in connection to the Pennsylvania killings in 2023, but managed to post bail and hasn't been seen since.
Taylor says LaSota leads the Zizian group, to which Bauckholt, Youngblut, Zajko and Snyder may have all been connected.
'I'm guessing that they were having discussions with Ziz and possibly others,' Taylor said, referring to Bauckholt and Youngblut. 'It seems like, based on what was in the car, they might've been preparing for some sort of operation or violence in some form, in terms of having bullets and walkie-talkies and wanting not to be observed.'
With the possible connections coming to light, Essex County State's Attorney Vince Illuzzi says people in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom are talking, and some are concerned knowing alleged members of the Zizians own property in the area, and could have been trying to buy more.
'Some call it a 'death cult', some call it a 'vegan cult',' Illuzzi said, referring to the Zizians. 'No one could figure out what connection they (Bauckholt and Youngblut) had, and then as more information came out, it turned out they were there to look at a piece of property in the town of Wheelock.'
But why were Bauckholt and Youngblut looking at property in Wheelock? Some fear it was to grow the Zizian's presence in Vermont.
'Some people have suggested (it's) the rural nature of the Northeast Kingdom, the fact that you can buy weapons without as many restrictions as in other states,' Illuzzi said. 'So, the fear was that they were attempting to establish a base of operation or a greater foothold in the Northeast Kingdom, which somewhat freaked people out.'
Adding to people's fears, Illuzzi says he knows someone who went to the property owned by Zajko in Coventry just days after Agent Maland was killed, and had a frightening encounter.
'Someone did go to the residence, and they were met by someone at that cabin who was wearing a sword-type weapon, and the visitor was told to leave,' Illuzzi said. 'Of course, to the people in the areas where these individuals essentially were associating, it's a scary feeling.'
Thursday night on ABC22 News, we'll dive deeper into the history of the Zizians with investigative reporters from around the country who've been following the group and reporting on them for an extensive period of time. The story will first air live at 6:00 p.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.