Wisconsin Teen Charged With Double Homicide, Allegedly Lived With Victims’ Remains for Weeks
WAUKESHA – A 17-year-old Wisconsin teenager is now facing a series of grave charges after allegedly murdering his mother and stepfather and living in close proximity to their decomposing remains for nearly two weeks, according to county prosecutors.
Details of the Crime
Nikita Casap is accused of fatally shooting his mother, 35-year-old Tatiana Casap, and his 51-year-old stepfather, Donald Mayer, in a case that has shocked the local community. The grim discovery came on February 28 when Mayer’s mother contacted the sheriff’s office requesting a welfare check after noticing the family’s prolonged unexplained absence from school and work. When authorities arrived at the residence, they found the victims’ bodies in an advanced stage of decay and bearing multiple gunshot wounds.
District Attorney Lesli Boese revealed during court proceedings that evidence indicated a deliberate sequence of violent acts. “It’s been determined that on February 11, the victim, Tatiana Casap, was shot at least three times—twice in the stomach and once in the neck,” Boese explained. In a similar fashion, prosecutors allege that Mayer was shot in the back of the head. Despite these brutal acts, Casap reportedly continued to reside at the family home, allowing the situation to deteriorate until the discovery nearly two weeks later.
Disturbing Evidence and Additional Charges
Adding to the disturbing circumstances of the case, investigators recovered a digital memory card that contained video footage. In the recorded material, Casap was seen lighting candles in the room where his stepfather’s body was kept and filming the corpse approximately one week after the murder occurred. Authorities allege that these recordings serve as a disturbing testament to the cold and calculated nature of the alleged crimes.
Casap’s actions extended beyond the scenes of the crime. On February 28, after the bodies were discovered, Casap was apprehended in WaKeeney, Kansas—more than 800 miles from his home in Wisconsin. Police found him driving his stepfather’s Volkswagen Atlas. Inside the vehicle, investigators recovered a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum firearm belonging to Mayer, both victims’ driver’s licenses, spent shell casings, and even $14,000 in cash. Phone location data further revealed that Casap had been on the run, traveling through multiple states including Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Colorado before his arrest.
Casap now faces an array of charges, including:
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Two counts of first-degree intentional homicide
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Two counts of concealing a corpse
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Theft of property valued over $10,000
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Two counts related to misappropriating identification for financial gain
Previously, on March 3, Casap had been charged with operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent and the theft of movable property in connection with the car and the firearm.
Legal Proceedings and Community Reaction
Court records indicate that Nikita Casap appeared before a judge in Waukesha on Thursday as the prosecution laid out the case details. Waukesha County Court Commissioner Christopher Bailey remarked during the proceedings, “It appears this individual was trying to flee not only our jurisdiction, but the country, implying an awareness of the gravity of his actions.” The preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 9.
Local authorities and community members alike are grappling with the complex mix of shock and sorrow that has arisen from the case. The fact that Casap maintained a semblance of normalcy immediately following the murders—attending school the day after the killings—has left many questioning the factors that may have contributed to this disturbing behavior.
Ongoing Investigation
The investigation continues as law enforcement scrutinizes every detail surrounding the case. Authorities have not released further comment regarding potential motives or the circumstances that led Casap to allegedly commit such heinous acts. Both the district attorney’s office and Casap’s legal representatives have so far refrained from further public statements as the proceedings develop.
As the preliminary hearing approaches, the community remains on edge, awaiting answers and hoping for swift justice for the victims and their grieving relatives. This case not only underscores severe breaches of trust and familial bonds but also highlights profound questions about the underlying issues that can lead to such tragic outcomes.
