The Other McCain

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Bail Hearing Today for Cult Suspects UPDATE: Judge Orders All Three ‘Extremists’ Held Without Bond

Posted on | February 18, 2025 | Comments Off on Bail Hearing Today for Cult Suspects UPDATE: Judge Orders All Three ‘Extremists’ Held Without Bond

CUMBERLAND, Maryland
The first court appearance for Jack LaSota, Michelle Zajko and Daniel Blank — the leader and two members of what the Associated Press has politely called a “cultlike group” — starts at 11 a.m. ET. Drove 70 miles to cover this hearing, and I’ve got about a five-block walk to the courthouse from the Undisclosed Location where I’ve set up my laptop, so this initial report will necessarily be brief. Since their arrest on Sunday, the three suspects have been housed at the Allegany County Detention Center, about four miles away, and I expect the prisoner transport van to arrive at the courthouse about 15 minutes before the hearing, so that maybe I can get pictures of them. So now I’ve got to walk in the windy cold.

UPDATE: The three suspects appeared via teleconference, not appearing in the court, and all were represented by a public defender. The prosecuting attorney, James Elliott, described each defendant as being associated with an “extremist group known as the Zizians,” which may be the first time this has been stated as a matter of fact in a court proceeding. Judge Erich Bean, citing the “very concerning” nature of the charges, the ongoing federal investigation, and the fact that none of the suspects were local residents, ordered all three held without bond.

UPDATE II: Welcome, Instapundit readers!

UPDATE III: Among other things we learned in today’s hearing, we now know how the arrest went down Sunday. The three suspects were camped in two box trucks on private property on Piney Mountain Road in Frostburg, about nine miles west of Cumberland. The property owner discovered their presence and called the cops.

Sheriff’s deputies, Department of Natural Resources police and Maryland State Police responded. All three suspects refused to provide identifying information, and thus were charged with “obstructing and hindering” law enforcement. Zajko had a pistol in her possession, and another pistol was found in the box truck where LaSota was hiding. Zajko’s pistol, a Sig Sauer 9mm, was one of four she purchased in Vermont. Two of those pistols were in possession of Teresa Youngblut and Felix “Ophelia” Bauckholt when they got into their deadly shootout January 20 in Vermont. One of the two box trucks the three suspects had in Frostburg was registered in Youngblut’s name. So the connection to the Vermont shooting was pretty cut-and-dried as a matter of evidence.

UPDATE IV: In the comments, Ms. EBL remarks, “I wonder how good the vegan food is in jail.” Funny you should mention that. Although all three of these Zizians are radical vegans, Jack LaSota was the only one to complain about the jailhouse menu, claiming to be near “starvation” and suffering from “delirium” as a result. Meanwhile, I’ve been blogging from the Corner Tavern & Cafe here on Centre Street, where the food is tasty.

I recommend the Roast Beef Panini.

Unfortunately, I’ll have to be leaving these cozy confines shortly, as I’m driving my wife’s car and she needs it back before 3 o’clock. I’ve got three or four pages of notes from the hearing today, which was also attended by reporters from the Associated Press, Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer. So I’ll be able to put together a much more complete story once I get back to the house. There’s only time now for me to remind readers that the Five Most Important Words in the English Language are:

HIT THE FREAKING TIP JAR!



 

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Category: Crime, Maryland, The Transgender Cult

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