In the spring of 2023, Ophelia Bauckholt, a math genius hailing from Germany, was living a glamorous life in New York City. At just 26 years old, she was thriving in her career at a prestigious trading firm, earning a substantial income, and enjoying a vibrant social circle. Her apartment in Jersey City served as a hub for her group of close friends, predominantly made up of highly educated transgender women like herself. Described as the glue that held their group together, Bauckholt seemed to have it all.
However, a series of troubling events unfolded over the following months. Bauckholt started to distance herself from her friends, engaging in secretive phone conversations with unidentified individuals and embarking on mysterious weekend trips without divulging details. Then, in November 2023, she abruptly disappeared after boarding a flight from Newark Liberty International Airport, leaving her friends bewildered and concerned about her well-being.
The shocking news of Bauckholt’s demise surfaced two weeks ago when she was involved in a fatal gun battle with U.S. Border Patrol agents in northern Vermont. The fatal confrontation occurred during a routine traffic stop on January 20, where a woman accompanying Bauckholt allegedly opened fire on the agents, leading to a tragic chain of events that claimed the lives of Bauckholt and Border Patrol Agent David “Chris” Maland.
Subsequent investigations revealed that Bauckholt had become entangled in a cult-like group linked to a string of heinous crimes, including multiple homicides, attempted murder, and staged deaths. The group’s enigmatic leader, Jack Amadeus LaSota, known as Ziz, is a figure shrouded in mystery, often seen donning dark attire and aligning herself with the fictional Sith characters from the “Star Wars” universe. Referred to as “Zizians,” LaSota’s followers, described as tech-savvy vegan individuals, share an obsession with the perils of artificial intelligence.
The group’s association with a series of violent incidents, including the murder of a Pennsylvania couple and a brutal assault on a California man, has sent shockwaves through Bauckholt’s former circle of friends. While her tragic demise has left them reeling, it sadly comes as no surprise to those who were familiar with her involvement in this dangerous network.
As details continue to unfold, the chilling saga of Ophelia Bauckholt serves as a cautionary tale of how promising lives can take a dark turn when lured into the grip of malevolent forces.
In 2012, the Center for Applied Rationality began hosting gatherings in Berkeley, California, to form a community of rationalists dedicated to using mathematical and logical principles for positive change. The founders recognized the importance of AI and sought to ensure its ethical development to prevent potential risks.
Among the attendees was Jack LaSota, a computer programmer with a unique belief system. Initially perceived as harmless, LaSota’s intensity during a retreat in 2018 raised concerns among staff members. She espoused ideas about humans having two minds, each capable of good or evil, with only a select few, including herself, being inherently good.
LaSota’s blog detailed her beliefs, including the concept of conflicting hemispheres within the brain and her encounters with law enforcement due to her Sith-inspired attire. She lived on a tugboat near Half Moon Bay before moving to a property in Vallejo with associates.
As tensions grew, LaSota’s relationship with the Center for Applied Rationality deteriorated. The unfolding events highlighted the complexities of belief systems and potential vulnerabilities to manipulation within certain communities.
Rationality, a group, held an event in Sonoma County, California, where Jack LaSota, 28 at the time, and three others wore robes and Guy Fawkes masks, made famous by the movie “V for Vendetta” and later used by the group Anonymous, to block the entrance to the grounds. The police were called, and the four were charged with felony criminal conspiracy and multiple misdemeanors, including false imprisonment. They hired lawyer Jerry Friedman, known for being a vegan, to help with their case. They filed a federal lawsuit against the retreat facility and Sonoma County deputies, claiming they were falsely arrested during a protest. The lawsuit alleged mistreatment of LaSota, who was transgender.
Unexpectedly, in August 2022, LaSota was reported missing after falling off a boat in San Francisco Bay, with an obituary published the following month. The lawyer informed the retreat center of the death, but no body was found. Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the landlord, Lind, was attacked with a samurai sword by individuals he was trying to evict from his property, resulting in severe injuries.
In a bizarre turn of events, one of the individuals involved in the protest, Emma Borhanian, was killed in the attack on Lind, while another, LaSota, who was presumed dead, was later found alive and well by police in Vallejo. Months later, the bodies of Rita and Richard Zajko were discovered in their home in Pennsylvania, both having suffered fatal gunshot wounds.
The series of events involving the protest, lawsuit, presumed deaths, and violent attacks left many stunned and confused, with some individuals involved experiencing tragic outcomes.
Two days before New Year’s Eve, the Zajkos were found to have passed away. The Pennsylvania State Police have indicated that the incident is believed to not be a random act of violence. Ten days after the discovery of the Zajkos’ bodies, Pennsylvania state troopers arrived at a Candlewood Suites near the Philadelphia airport with a warrant to search the room and vehicle of the deceased couple’s daughter, Michelle Zajko. A trooper later testified in court that they were searching for the handgun suspected to have been used in the deaths.
Upon knocking on Zajko’s hotel room door, the troopers took her into custody. As they escorted her out of the hotel, she mentioned to the front desk staff to inform a Daniel Blank about her detainment, as recounted by Trooper Matthew Gibson in court, according to a transcript obtained by NBC News. The troopers were familiar with Blank, having previously interviewed him in connection with the double homicide.
Subsequently, the troopers approached Blank’s room and knocked on the door. Despite Blank answering, he declined to open the door, leading the troopers to return to their barracks to obtain a search warrant for his room. Upon their return with the warrant, receiving no response to their demand to open the door, the troopers forcibly entered and discovered Blank and another individual, identified as LaSota, also known as Ziz, in the bathroom, as testified by Gibson in court.
Blank was arrested, but LaSota remained unresponsive and seemingly unconscious on the floor, with eyes closed and not speaking. LaSota was later charged with obstructing the investigation and disorderly conduct, as per a criminal complaint. Even during the mugshot process, LaSota continued to feign being unresponsive.
In June 2023, LaSota was released on bail but failed to appear in court, resulting in a bench warrant being issued. The whereabouts of LaSota remain unknown. Attorney Friedman, who last heard from LaSota in 2022, expressed uncertainty about the client’s location.
Neither Blank nor Zajko, the daughter of the deceased couple, have faced charges in relation to the killings. However, Zajko’s name would soon become linked to a distinct murder investigation. In January, an employee at a hotel in Lyndonville, Vermont, raised concerns to authorities regarding two guests. The individuals, described as wearing black tactical gear with protective equipment, were identified as Bauckholt, a German national, and her companion, Teresa Youngblut.
Bauckholt, a former math champion, had been out of contact with friends in New York for over a year. Her exceptional achievements included winning a gold medal at the International Olympiad in Informatics in 2014.
Ophelia Bauckholt was a dedicated math student at the University of Waterloo in Canada, described by her college friends as passionate, fun, and very positive. Actively involved in various college groups such as the computer science club and pure math club, Bauckholt was known for her enthusiasm for mathematics. During her college years, she interned at Jane Street Capital in New York, a prestigious quantitative trading firm. After graduating with honors, she secured a job as a quantitative trader at Tower Research Capital in New York, applying advanced mathematical models to identify investment opportunities.
Despite earning a lucrative salary, Bauckholt lived modestly, ensuring she spent no more than 10% of her income before taxes and generously donating a significant portion to charitable causes as an effective altruist. She believed in the impact of giving back and supported organizations like the Against Malaria Foundation, donating $5,000 to help distribute mosquito nets to save lives.
Known for her meticulous approach to life, Bauckholt applied mathematical precision to her daily routines, carefully calculating her sleep requirements and dietary habits to optimize her performance at work. She was described by her former roommate as making super micromanaged decisions to maintain her mental sharpness.
In her social interactions, Bauckholt was perceived as bright but somewhat eccentric and socially awkward, a common trait at rationalist events where she engaged in discussions centered on Zizian ideologies emphasizing altruism and ethical veganism. Despite warnings from others to be cautious of extreme beliefs within the Zizian group, Bauckholt seemed captivated by their principles.
Tragically, in January of the following year, Bauckholt and her companion, Teresa Youngblut, were stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents for an immigration check after being under surveillance for several days. The circumstances surrounding this incident remain uncertain.
The investigation into the shooting that occurred is still ongoing. Authorities have not confirmed whether David Maland, the agent involved, was hit by a bullet allegedly fired by Youngblut or by one from another agent. Youngblut, 21, has pleaded not guilty to federal weapons charges, and her lawyer has chosen not to comment. Prosecutors revealed that Youngblut, along with Bauckholt, had a significant arsenal of weapons and gear in their possession, including ammunition, a ballistic helmet, and night vision equipment. They also mentioned that Youngblut had been associating with individuals suspected of violent activities. The handguns owned by Bauckholt and Youngblut were reportedly bought by a person linked to a double homicide investigation in Pennsylvania. Michelle Zajko, the daughter of the victims, is believed to be connected to the firearms purchases. Law enforcement issued an alert seeking information on Zajko’s gun acquisitions related to a shooting incident involving a Customs and Border Protection Officer. Zajko owned property near the border agent shootout location in Vermont. Vermont prosecutors stated in Youngblut’s detention memo that she and the person who bought her gun had been in frequent communication with someone detained in Pennsylvania during a homicide inquiry. This individual was also a person of interest in a California murder case. The involvement of these individuals is said to be related to the attack on Lind, a California landlord, who was due to testify in an upcoming trial. However, Lind was tragically murdered days before the trial, and a suspect, Maximilian Snyder, was arrested for the crime. Snyder was associated with Youngblut and their connection dated back to their time at a private high school. Residents in Vermont are grappling with the shocking revelations of interconnected crimes stretching across the country involving those associated with the border agent incident. Vincent Illuzzi, a former state senator in Vermont, believes that the suspects and their associates may have viewed the rural area as a suitable place to evade detection.
“Real people leave you alone. There’s no one down the street watching you come and go.” In the days and weeks following the shooting, Bauckholt’s friends have devoted countless hours to delving deeper into the enigmatic Zizians, meticulously comparing notes on conversations they once shared with the individual known as Ophelia. Their suspicions arise from the realization that Ophelia failed to recognize the ominous signs, gradually becoming increasingly entwined in the group’s malevolent undertakings.
“I know Ophelia well enough to ascertain that she would not have willingly found herself in the predicament she now faces,” disclosed Kolomatskaia, Ophelia’s former roommate. “This unfortunate circumstance is the culmination of a series of ill-advised decisions rooted in her misguided belief that there were no other viable options available to her. She possesses a profound sense of naivety, altruism, and trust, qualities that render her vulnerable to exploitation,” Kolomatskaia further expounded.
