A Wisconsin teenager pleaded guilty Jan. 8 to two counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the February 2025 death of his parents.
Nikita Casap, 18, had been scheduled to stand trial in early March until his attorney, Paul Joseph Rifelj, requested a plea hearing, ultimately accepting a deal in which his client will likely be sentenced to long prison terms, possibly for life. A sentencing hearing was set for 1:30 p.m. March 5, when Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Ralph Ramirez will decide the terms.
In return for the guilty pleas, eight other felony counts – two for hiding a corpse, two for theft of movable property, two for identity theft, one for taking a vehicle without consent and one for intimidating a witness with threat of force – were dismissed, but will be considered during sentencing. Ramirez formally convicted Casap on the homicide counts.
Thursday's plea hearing was short and to the point. Casap confirmed that he was aware he was giving up his constitutional right to a trial and admitted he killed his mother, Tatiana Casap, and stepfather, Donald Mayer Jr., in their Village of Waukesha home on or about Feb. 11, 2025. He made no statement at that time.
One previously unreported element in the case involved Casap's citizenship, a point raised as Ramirez questioned him about his rights. The question – whether he was aware that he could be deported if he is not a U.S. citizen as a result of his conviction – prompted media questions following the hearing to both District Attorney Lesli Boese, who said she wasn't certain, and Rifelj, who declined comment.
