Waukesha Teen Accused of Murdering His Mother and Stepfather Makes Initial Appearance

Nikita Casap sat in a jail jumpsuit, making his initial appearance with his attorneys Maura McMahon and Nicole Ostrowski as the judge listed off a multitude of charges Casap is facing in relation to the murder of his mother and stepfather in early March 2025.

The 17-year-old showed little to no reaction as the judge listed over nine felonies Casap could be charged with-two of those being 1st-degree intentional homicide.

In a new criminal complaint, a Waukesha West Student claims that Casap sent her disturbing messages on Snapchat that discussed killing his parents and himself. Casap was also allegedly messaging someone in Russia discussing plans to overthrow the U.S. government and assassinate President Donald Trump.

The state requested that Casap be held on a five-million-dollar cash bail, have no contact with the witness, surrender his passport, not leave the state of Wisconsin and to not possess any dangerous weapons.

The judge fulfilled the states’ request, ordering that Casap not leave the state of Wisconsin or possess any dangerous weapons, as well as a no-contact order with any living family members of the victims and the witness.

“I am going to give him a one-million-dollar bail,” the judge stated. “I believe that is appropriate given the seriousness of the crimes, the totality of the circumstances, and quite frankly, the strength of the states’ evidence.”

According to the criminal complaint, on February 20, 2025, officers responded to a residence located at S38W27056 Cider Hills Drive in the Village of Waukesha in regard to a welfare check. Upon arrival, officers found a deceased female and were unable to locate any other family members.

Furthermore, the criminal complaint also details that a call was received on February 28, 2025, also regarding a welfare check. The caller stated that she hadn’t heard from her son in weeks, and that the school contacted the caller regarding Nikita Casap’s lack of attendance.

When officers executed a search warrant, entering the home a second time, they located a deceased male in the home’s office. This was confirmed through a statement made by the Waukesha County Sheriff’s office on March 1, 2025:

“Following continued investigation, the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed the discovery of two deceased individuals inside the residence. A person of interest is currently in custody on separate charges. The investigation is ongoing and remains active.”

Police say that after the discovery of the first body, neighbors reported seeing the female victim’s white Volkswagen on February 23, 2025, being driven by Nikita Casap. Additionally, the criminal complaint states that at that time, the neighbor also hadn’t seen the family’s small black dog.

Police eventually learned that Nikita Casap’s phone appeared to take a route starting on February 24, 2025, when it left the Waukesha Area. Police in Kansas performed a traffic stop on the white Volkswagen that was being driven by Casap, accompanied by the family dog, a gun that matched the weapon used in the murders, as well as both victims’ driver’s licenses.

On March 5, 2025, the Waukesha County Sheriff’s office confirmed the victim’s identities through the following release:

“The Waukesha County Medical Examiner’s Office has positively identified the two deceased individuals as Donald Mayer (51) and Tatiana Casap (35). The identification process necessitated a delay due to the need for the highest level of accuracy, ensuring both thoroughness and respect for the deceased and their families.”

“Additional time was required to notify Tatiana’s next of kin, who resides outside of the United States. The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department coordinated translation services to facilitate effective communication, ensuring that all notifications were handled with maximum sensitivity and care.”

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of Donald and Tatiana during this challenging time. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we worked diligently to provide accurate and respectful communication.”

Nikita Casap was originally being held on a $250,000 bond at the Waukesha County Jail prior to his initial appearance in court today. His attorneys requested that the bond amount remain the same, but the judge declined their request.

Wisconsin law classifies first-degree intentional homicide as a class A felony, carrying a mandatory life sentence with the possibility of parole after 20 years. Nikita Casap is expected to appear in court again on April 9, 2025, for his preliminary hearing.