Members of Zizians Group Linked to Deaths Across States Bailed Out in Maryland

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A member of a group known as the Zizians, which has been linked to six deaths across several states, was bailed out of jail in Maryland on Friday. Daniel Blank was released on $15,000 bail, while his associates Jack 'Ziz' LaSota and Michelle Zajko remain in custody. The Zizians, described as young, highly intelligent computer scientists, have been tied to a range of crimes including the death of one of their own, the killing of a landlord in California, 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.

Why it matters

The release of a member of the Zizians group on bail raises concerns about public safety, as the group has been linked to a string of violent crimes across multiple states. The case highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in dealing with extremist groups that hold radical beliefs and are willing to resort to violence.

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 at the end of a snow-covered dirt road last February. Blank was bailed out on Friday, while LaSota and Zajko remain in custody. Blank's release includes conditions that he must live alone and submit to GPS tracking. The deaths linked to the group reached six last year when a U.S. border agent was killed in Vermont. The three members were later arrested on trespassing and gun charges in the woods of western Maryland.

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

What’s next

Jury selection was supposed to start recently in Cumberland, Maryland, where LaSota, Zajko, and Blank are charged with possession of LSD, 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.