How did a bright mathematician from Germany get involved with a group suspected of multiple murders across the country?  It is a question that baffles many.  A shocking discovery was made in Pennsylvania. Two bodies were found, Richard and Rita Zajko,  murdered on New Year’s Eve. The Pennsylvania State Police determined that it was not a random act.  Shortly after that, police visited a Candlewood Suites hotel near the Philadelphia airport.  A warrant was issued to search the room and vehicle of Michelle Zajko. She is the daughter of the murdered couple.  Michelle was taken into custody. She was removed from the hotel. A trooper, Matthew Gibson, noticed that Michelle had asked hotel staff to inform Daniel Blank she was being detained.  The troopers knew Blank, they had spoken to him before.  They went to his hotel room. Blank refused to open the door.  He was arrested by police after a search warrant was obtained.  But things didn't end there. Jack LaSota was found in the bathroom with Blank.

        LaSota, also known as Ziz, was charged with obstructing the investigation and disorderly conduct.  However, he was later released and did not return to court.  His whereabouts are unknown.  LaSota, an Alaskan native, was described as unresponsive and almost lifeless by Gibson.  LaSota had associated with a self-proclaimed effective altruist.  Ophelia Bauckholt, a German mathematician is the person in question.  Bauckholt, a high school student in Freiburg, Germany, was a national math champion and won a gold medal in the International Olympiad in Informatics.  She also went on to work as a quantitative trader.  Bauckholt was passionate about math. She was a member of the computer science and pure math clubs in college.  She was also involved with a group called Ziz. The group focused on altruism and ethical veganism.  Ophelia's friends thought she was too trusting and naive.  Jessica Taylor met Bauckholt at an event in New York in 2022.  Taylor warned Bauckholt to stay away from Ziz.   Bauckholt joined forces with Teresa Youngblut, who was not a good company.  Bauckholt was hiding from people who knew her in the New York area.  Bauckholt and Youngblut were arrested in Vermont for the murder of a Border Patrol Agent in January this year.   Things started to unravel when they were stopped for an immigration check.  Ophelia appeared to be drawn to the extremist views of Ziz.  Her friends were shocked by her actions.  Bauckholt had been associated with Michelle Zajko.  Bauckholt and Youngblut were found to be in possession of a variety of weapons.  Bauckholt and Youngblut were involved in a murder in California.  A landlord, Curtis Lind, was attacked with a sword.  Three days later, he was murdered.   The case has left residents shocked.  The murders of the Zajko's and the border agent have been linked to a group known as Ziz.  But why did Bauckholt join the group? Was she manipulated?  The community is trying to come to grips with these crimes in Vermont.  The link was found through a report.

Math Genius Drawn into Crime

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