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Woman charged with parents’ murders after years-long investigation
Michelle Zajko, 33, has been charged with the murder of her parents, Rita and Richard Zajko, after a years-long investigation, according to Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse.
MEDIA, Pa. - Charges have been approved against 33-year-old Michelle Zajko in connection with the deaths of her parents, Richard and Rita Zajko, according to Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse.
What we know:
Investigators say Pennsylvania State Police responded to a welfare check at a Chester Heights home on January 2, 2023, after Richard and Rita Zajko missed scheduled caretaking duties. Troopers found both victims dead in an upstairs bedroom from gunshot wounds to the head, and the medical examiner ruled both deaths as homicides.
Police say the investigation revealed suspicious activities by Michelle Zajko in the weeks before and after the murders, including buying a firearm, burner phones, and moving large amounts of cash.
Digital and ballistic evidence later confirmed Zajko was among the unidentified people who entered the home on New Year's Eve 2022 and killed her parents.
"These charges did not come quickly or easily. They are the product of years of careful investigative work," District Attorney Rouse said.
On June 24, 2026, a complaint was filed and a warrant was issued for Michelle Zajko’s arrest. She is currently in custody in Maryland on unrelated charges and will await extradition to Pennsylvania.
Timeline:
On December 31, 2022, investigators say unidentified individuals entered the Zajko home, with one person yelling "Mom" before the lights went on. The individuals left about 9 minutes later, and both victims were found dead days later.
Over the following months and years, police gathered evidence including digital records and ballistic analysis, which they say linked Michelle Zajko to the crime.
The backstory:
Authorities believe Zajko has alleged ties to a cult-like extremist group known as the Zizians, described as highly intelligent computer scientists with radical beliefs about technology, artificial intelligence, veganism and gender identity.
Investigators say the Zizians have been linked to at least six killings across the country, including in California, Pennsylvania and Vermont, where a border patrol agent was killed in 2025.
District Attorney Rouse said, "We know Michelle Z was with the killers, killer, killers to the extent that she wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger but she was certainly aligned with those that did." He added, "It is an exhaustive investigation that took years to put together. But we are finally at the point where we can say beyond any doubt that Michelle Zajko was at least part responsible for the death of her parents."
The Zajko family released a statement saying, "There has been much speculation, misinformation and disinformation about our Rick and Rita and our niece. It has been difficult and challenging to hear and read and not comment until the appropriate time. That time is now. The evidence will speak loudly and decisively for us, as it will for Rick and Rita. Now is the time for the facts and the truth to be known."
Roseanne Zajko, sister of Richard Zajko, said, "We have lived with unspeakable grief and sorrow." She also said, "It felt impossible to believe and hope and expectation that this day would eventually arrive."
Family members say the charges bring some sense of justice in the deaths of Richard and Rita Zajko.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released details about a possible motive or if any other suspects are being sought. The investigation remains ongoing and additional information may be released as the case moves forward.