WAUKESHA — Waukesha County prosecutors said a teen lived with his mom and stepdad’s bodies for two weeks after he murdered them. Nikita Casap, 17, has not yet been charged with homicide for the double murders.
Prosecutors say those charges are forthcoming. For now, he is facing charges of taking a vehicle without consent and theft for taking his stepfather’s gun. He was arrested in Kansas last week.
Casap walked slowly into a Waukesha County courtroom on Wednesday for an initial appearance. He was wearing a safety vest and shackles. The vest is usually worn to keep defendants from hurting themselves.
Casap's attorney, Nicolę Ostrowski, reminded the court her client is just 17 years old.
“He is young, he is still in high school,” said Ostrowski.
Despite his age, prosecutors said Casap will be facing first degree murder charges likely in the next two weeks.
The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department found 51-year-old Donald Mayer and his wife, 35-year-old Tatiana Casap dead in their home on Feb. 28.
Watch: Prosecutors: Waukesha teen lived with dead bodies for 2 weeks after murder
Deputies were called to the home for a welfare check after Mayer's mother from Massachusetts reported not hearing from them in weeks. The mom was found in a hallway covered with blankets and a towel, while Mayer was found on a first floor office.
Prosecutors said Nikita Casap had also been absent from school for two weeks.
According to the complaint, Casap was taken into custody in WaKeeney, Kansas, during a traffic stop. A previous emergency phone ping showed Casap and one of the victims’ phones in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Waukesha County District Attorney Lesli Boese said that on Feb. 11, Casap shot his mother at least three times—twice in the stomach and once in the neck.
Prosecutors said he killed his stepfather, Donald Mayer, by shooting him in the back of the head, then went to school the next day and continued living at home for nearly two weeks until Feb. 23.
“The defendant continued to live at the residence with the two bodies at the house. He then fled with the $14,000 in cash. We know he was communicating with someone to get fake plates put on the car to hide the car was stolen,” Boese said.
Boese said after the deaths, Casap was communicating with someone either in Russian or Romanian. Casap is originally from Moldova, and his living relatives are mainly overseas.
“It appears this individual was trying to flee the jurisdiction—not only this state but this country,” said Christopher Bailey, Waukesha County court commissioner. “A lot of these issues make the court believe that this individual had no intention to be here where he is today.”
The murder charges are not expected for another two weeks. Casap will be back in court on March 24 to enter a plea.
