Pennsylvania Woman Charged in Parents’ Murder Linked to Transgender Cult
Pennsylvania officials announced on Wednesday that a woman tied to the Gizian cult has been charged with murdering her parents, resolving a cold case that had persisted for three years.
Michelle Zayko, 33, now faces charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy related to the shooting deaths of her parents, Rita and Richard Zayko, which took place on her 30th birthday. The authorities discovered the bodies with gunshot wounds at their home in Chester Heights, a suburb of Philadelphia, on January 2, 2023.
District Attorney Tanner Routh indicated that while Zayko may not have pulled the trigger herself, she allegedly played a significant role in planning the crime. “We know Michelle Zayko was with a murderer,” Routh remarked, clarifying that she matched up with those directly responsible for the killings.
Investigators conducted forensic analyses that uncovered cell phone messages from Zayko in which she indicated a desire to have handled the situation differently. A ballistics analysis linked shell casings from the crime scene to a firearm used at a shooting range in Vermont. Neighboring doorbell footage captured two individuals approaching the home, one of whom shouted “Mom!” before shots were fired.
“There’s no definitive evidence yet,” Routh stated. “It’s a collection of pieces that we’ve painstakingly gathered over the years.”
After becoming estranged from her parents in 2022, the tragic incident occurred on New Year’s Eve, shortly after Zayko’s mother sent an email reconciling their relationship.
Reports suggest that Zayko is part of a vegan transgender cult known as Zizian, which has been linked to various violent incidents nationwide in recent years. The group’s leader, an Alaskan computer scientist named Jack “Jiz” Amadeus Lasota, is also associated with the Zizians and allegedly found in the same hotel room with Zayko shortly after the murder.
Upon being questioned, Zayko reportedly refused to cooperate with law enforcement and fled authorities when asked to return her vehicle, leading to a charge of obstruction of justice. After managing to evade capture for some time, she and Lasota were arrested in Maryland in February 2025 on related charges, with Zayko also implicated in a separate case involving the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent.
Facing multiple allegations, Zayko remains adamant about her innocence. In an open letter penned by her attorney in April 2025, she stated, “I did not kill my parents.”
The Daily Caller attempted to contact Zayko’s attorney, Christopher Nieto, as well as the Delaware County Public Defender’s Office, but had not received any replies prior to publication.
