"She was certainly aligned with those that [pulled the trigger],” Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse claimed in a press conference
Credit: Allegany County Sheriff’s Office via AP
NEED TO KNOW
- Michelle Zajko was charged with murder after ballistic evidence linked her to the crime scene
- Authorities believe Zajko was involved with the Zizians, a group tied to other homicides and radical ideologies
- The Zizians reportedly consist of young computer scientists who met online and support AI and veganism
A woman with alleged ties to the cult-like group the Zizians has been charged in connection with the 2022 death of her parents.
Michelle Zajko, 33, has been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of her parents Richard Zajko, 71, and Rita Zajko, 69, Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse announced in a press conference on Wednesday, June 24.
Rouse recalled the events leading up to the couple's deaths in the press conference. He said that Michelle's mother Rita “reached out” to her on her birthday on New Year's Eve via text telling her daughter that she was “sorry for the rift that had grown between them,” but her text went “unanswered.”
“Several hours later, a car is seen approaching the Zajko home in Chester Heights Pennsylvania, here in Delaware County. Two individuals, at least, get out of that car… the lights go on in the home, and Richard and Rita Zajko were executed,” he said.
Rouse said that one of the individuals that got out of the car said something “indistinguishable” prior to the couple's deaths — which “sounded like ‘mom' ” — and the audio was later further enhanced by technology. He noted that Michelle was the couple's only child.
Credit: AP Photo/Matt Rourke
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He also said “ballistic analysis” was conducted at Richard and Rita's home and investigators recovered “two shell castings” at the scene, which he claimed were traced back to Michelle.
“[The castings] were found to match an as of yet unrecovered firearm that had been used at Michele Zajko's home in Vermont. So, we know that Michelle Zajko was with the… killer, killers to the extent that she wasn't the one that pulled the trigger," he alleged. "She was certainly aligned with those that did.”
In a press release obtained by PEOPLE, Rouse said in statement, "These charges did not come quickly or easily. They are the product of years of careful investigative work, methodical evidence review, and coordination across multiple agencies to ensure the case was fully supported before moving forward. At every stage, investigators remained focused on building the strongest case possible. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Rita and Richard Zajko, and we recognize the pain and loss they continue to endure as a result of this tragedy. We hope these charges represent a meaningful step toward accountability and justice in this matter.”
Michelle was briefly taken into custody and questioned over the deaths of her parents on New Year's Eve in 2022, The Times previously reported. She was not arrested or charged, but Jack Amadeus Lasota — believed to have been the Zizian group leader, per the Associated Press — was taken into custody for "refusing to cooperate with officers.”
Michelle was arrested in 2025 alongside Lasota and alleged Zizian member Daniel Arthur Blank in Frostburg, and the trio were charged with trespassing, obstructing and hindering, firearm in vehicle, resisting arrest and handgun in person, according to Maryland State Police.
The arrests came after the death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland, who was killed in a shootout during a traffic stop in Coventry, Vt., on Jan. 20, 2025, the AP reported at the time. Some Zizian group members were allegedly involved in the incident, per the outlet.
Credit: Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers
The FBI has said that an alleged fourth group member, Teresa Youngblut, was charged with fatally shooting Maland, 44, The Times reported. Alleged Zizian member Felix Bauckholt was also killed in the incident, according to the outlet.
According to reporting from the AP, the Zizians consist of “highly intelligent computer scientists” in their 20s and 30s who met online and support radical veganism, gender identity and artificial intelligence. The group has also been linked to other homicides in states including Vermont and California.
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