Judge confirms trial date for ‘Zizian cult’ murder case
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FAIRFIELD, Calif. (CN) — A judge on Friday confirmed the trial of two defendants in Solano County for the attempted murder of their Vallejo landlord in 2022 and the resulting death of their friend, who died of a gunshot wound during the incident.
Defendants Alexander Leatham and Suri Dao belong to a group called the “Zizians,” a loose, cult-like organization of radical vegans and computer savants who see artificial intelligence as a danger to humanity. The group has been linked to six murders across the country.
Their trial is set for October 21, 2025, in Solano County Superior Court.
The solid trial date comes after months of continued hearings and delays in the case, due in part to Leatham’s lack ofcooperation with court proceedings.
During Friday’s hearing, as Leatham was led to the courtroom — as she has many times before, by multiple armed officers from the Solano County Sheriff’s Department — She shouted more than 20 times: “I waive my right to a speedy trial!”
Solano County Judge John B. Ellis addressed the interruption from the bench with a mixture of boredom and indifference that has come to define their in-court interactions.
The judge gave the order to place her in an “isolation room,” a room adjacent to the courtroom with a window where she could watch the proceedings.
“Apparently, she’s fairly insistent on waiving the trial,” Ellis quipped.
Leatham’s outbursts have become a common occurrence at these hearings, though this one was notably more subdued than usual, and Leatham barely struggled with the guards.
The pre-trial proceedings reached a fever pitch when Leatham was brought out to be re-arraigned after the judge approved a motion to consolidate Leatham and Dao’s cases.
Leatham began repeating a new statement as soon as the judge brought her back to the courtroom so she could be read her charges.
“Someone, please help me! I am surrounded by trans misogynists! Someone, please help me! They are torturing me for being transgender!” Leatham shouted.
In a herculean display of willpower by both parties, Leatham and Ellis spoke at the same time, uninterrupted, for nearly ten minutes while Ellis read her charges for the record.
Content retrieved from: https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-confirms-trial-date-for-zizian-cult-murder-case/.
