Shivangi Sinha
Hulu’s ‘IMPACT x Nightline: Ctrl Alt Kill: A Twisted Tale of Silicon Valley Whiz Kids Gone Wrong’ explores the alleged crimes and suspicious activities linked to the group informally called the “Zizians.” The group is supposedly centered around Ziz LaSota, a trans woman who used to follow rationalist philosophy. While members deny being part of any organized group, federal prosecutors allege they are connected to multiple criminal activities across state lines. The series examines their online influence and the growing concern over their alleged involvement in violent incidents across state lines.
Ziz LaSota Was Associated With Rationalist Groups Before Going on Her Own Path
Ziz LaSota (who was legally named Jack Amadeus LaSota) grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska. Details about her childhood remain scarce, though it is believed she had a strong early interest in computers and technology. In 2013, she graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering before landing an internship with NASA. Records indicate she later enrolled in a master’s program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign between 2013 and 2014, but did not complete it. Around this time, she became interested in alternative schools of thought. She gravitated toward the effective altruism and rationality movements and eventually relocated to California’s San Francisco Bay Area.
Ziz became involved with organizations like the Center for Applied Rationality (CFAR), which focuses on teaching decision-making and rational thinking skills, and the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI), dedicated to ensuring that artificial intelligence development remains safe and beneficial. However, she was also outspoken in holding these institutions accountable, raising concerns about alleged discrimination against trans people and other failures within the community. She maintained a blog where she spoke about the impending evils of AI, called non-vegetarians “monsters,” and espoused apprehensions against technical advancements. In 2017, Ziz and several individuals sometimes referred to as her “followers” began living on a World War II-era tugboat they named Caleb, sailing it from Alaska to California. By then, her views on gender, morality, and other philosophical issues were being questioned by CFAR and MIRI members, leading to her exclusion from their events.
In 2019, Ziz and several others protested a CFAR retreat in Occidental, California, while wearing black robes and masks and blocking a highway. A 911 call was made, prompting a SWAT team response, and the group was falsely accused of carrying weapons. This incident deepened the rift between the so-called “Zizians” and the rationalist community. Ziz and her group alleged discrimination, false arrest, and mistreatment, and eventually filed a civil lawsuit against Sonoma County. No charges were filed against her. In August 2022, reports stated that their tugboat Caleb, had sunk. Affidavits claimed Ziz was thrown overboard and presumed dead, though no remains were recovered from that area near Vallejo, California.
Tip From a Rural Property Owner Led to Ziz LaSota’s Arrest in Maryland
In January 2023, during the investigation into the murders of Richard and Rita Zajko in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania, police named their daughter, Michelle Zajko, as a person of interest. While searching a hotel for the suspected murder weapon, they discovered and identified Ziz LaSota, who had an outstanding California warrant for disorderly conduct and interfering with a police investigation. She was arrested, posted a reduced $10,000 bail, and appeared in court in August 2023, but failed to appear for her December hearing. On January 17, 2025, Curtis Lind, the owner of the property in Vallejo, California, where Emma Borhanian was killed, was fatally stabbed. He had previously alleged that “Zizians” had taken over his property and had allegedly stabbed him on November 15, 2022.
Prosecutors alleged that Lind was set to testify and potentially reveal the motive behind Borhanian’s murder, which they suggested was the reason he was killed. Reports indicate that in October 2022, Ziz was questioned by police during the investigation and was allegedly using the name “Julia” at the time, though she was never charged. On January 20, 2025, US Border Patrol Agent David Christopher Maland was killed in a shootout involving Teresa Youngbut and another alleged member of the “Zizian” group. Media speculation around Ziz intensified until a Frostburg, Maryland, property owner reported her presence. On February 16, 2025, she was arrested for trespassing, obstructing an officer, and transporting firearms.
Ziz LaSota is Awaiting Trial Today
According to reports, Ziz LaSota applied for pretrial release, but it was denied. Prosecutors argued that she allegedly has a history of disappearing and emphasized the scale of the ongoing investigation. If convicted, she could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, though a trial date has not yet been set. She has not been charged in connection with any murder case yet. Her family released a statement urging the public not to jump to conclusions and to allow for a fair and unbiased trial. Ziz has pleaded not guilty to all charges and continues to face allegations of leading a group linked to multiple criminal activities.
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