A Waukesha teenager changed his plea to guilty Tuesday in the shooting deaths of his mother and stepfather, accepting a deal that allows a judge to determine his sentence.
Nikita Casap was accused of killing Tatania Casap and Donald Mayer in February 2025, then living with their bodies for nearly two weeks before fleeing to Kansas, where he was arrested. In a courtroom filled only with media and a jail pastor, Casap told the judge he murdered his mother and stepfather.
"Guilty, your honor," Casap said.
"Did you commit these offenses?" Judge Ralph Ramirez asked.
"Yes, your honor," Casap responded.
Casap agreed to plead guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. The court dropped seven other counts, including stealing $14,000, taking his family's car, and hiding a corpse. The decision to accept the deal was something even the district attorney didn’t expect.
"I guess I am surprised. There is really no downside to taking it to trial, but again, I think the courts look at the fact that someone takes responsibility for what they did, and I think that is a factor that they take into consideration at sentencing," Waukesha County District Attorney Leslie Boese said.
Court documents say Casap shot and killed his mother and stepfather in their Waukesha home in February 2025. The then-17-year-old lived with their bodies for nearly two weeks before going on the run.
Watch: Waukesha County DA surprised by teen’s decision to plead guilty to killing mom and stepfather
According to federal court documents, Casap was motivated to kill his family through a plot to assassinate President Trump and overthrow the government. The high school junior had been communicating with someone online from Russia and planned to move to Eastern Europe after the murders. However, he is not facing any federal charges.
Boese said she spoke to both Mayer's family and Casap's family, and this outcome was what they wanted.
"In consulting with the family, they agree that this is a fair offer. I think it gives him the time for incarceration that we want. There really is no reason to go through a trial," Boese said.
The plea deal leaves sentencing up to a judge. At minimum, Casap faces 40 years in prison to a potential life sentence. Boese said she will argue for the maximum sentence.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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