Member of Zizians Group Bailed Out in Maryland

Suspect linked to deaths in several states released on bail with GPS monitoring

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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A member of a group known as the 'Zizians' that is linked to six deaths across multiple states was bailed out of jail in Maryland on Friday. Daniel Blank was released on $15,000 bail and must live alone and submit to GPS tracking as conditions of his release. Two other members of the group, Jack 'Ziz' LaSota and Michelle Zajko, remain in custody and are being held without bail.

Why it matters

The 'Zizians' group has been tied to a string of violent incidents and deaths across the country, raising concerns about the potential threat posed by the group's radical beliefs and activities. The release of one member on bail, despite the group's history of violence, has sparked questions about public safety and the judicial system's handling of this case.

The details

Police in Maryland connected Jack 'Ziz' LaSota, Michelle Zajko, and Daniel Blank to homicide investigations in California, Pennsylvania, and Vermont after the three were found living in box trucks on a remote dirt road last February. The group, known as 'Zizians' to outsiders, is believed to hold radical beliefs about veganism, animal rights, gender identity, and artificial intelligence. Since 2022, members of the group have been linked to the death of one of their own during an attack on a California landlord, the landlord's subsequent killing, the shooting deaths of Zajko's parents in Pennsylvania, and a highway shootout in Vermont that left a U.S. border agent and another Zizian dead.

  • On February 16, 2025, LaSota, Zajko, and Blank were arrested on trespassing and gun charges in the woods of western Maryland.
  • On Friday, February 21, 2026, Blank was bailed out of jail in Maryland, posting $15,000 bond.

The players

Daniel Blank

A member of the 'Zizians' group who was bailed out of jail in Maryland on Friday, February 21, 2026.

Jack 'Ziz' LaSota

A member of the 'Zizians' group who remains in custody and is being held without bail.

Michelle Zajko

A member of the 'Zizians' group who remains in custody and is being held without bail.

Rebecca Lechliter

The attorney representing Daniel Blank.

Brandon Jeffries

A Maryland state trooper who wrote that all the 'suspects involved are to be questioned regarding other crimes that have occurred across the country and have ties with the Zizians Cult.'

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What they’re saying

“Blank's release includes conditions that he must live alone and submit to GPS tracking.”

— Brandon Jeffries, Maryland state trooper (wbal.com)

What’s next

Jury selection was supposed to start recently in Cumberland, Maryland, where LaSota, Zajko and Blank are charged with possession of LSD and possession with intent to deliver LSD, multiple gun violations, trespassing and hindering a police officer. The trial was delayed until June, however, after Zajko, who also is charged with resisting arrest, fired her attorney, briefly represented herself and hired a new lawyer.

The takeaway

The release of a member of the 'Zizians' group on bail, despite the group's history of violence and alleged ties to multiple deaths across the country, has raised concerns about public safety and the judicial system's handling of this case. The upcoming trial in Maryland will be closely watched as it could provide more insight into the group's activities and the threat they may pose to the community.