A Waukesha teenager faces felony charges of vehicle theft and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle after a welfare check led to the discovery of his parents’ bodies in their Wisconsin home.
Authorities identified the victims as Tatiana Casap and Donald Mayer, the mother and stepfather of 17-year-old Nikita Casap. The investigation began on February 28 when Waukesha County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a welfare check at the family’s home on Cider Hills Drive. The request was initiated by Mayer’s mother in Massachusetts, after concerns were raised by Waukesha West High School regarding Nikita Casap’s extended absence from school. Prosecutors revealed that he had not attended classes for two weeks.
According to the criminal complaint, deputies discovered the bodies of Casap and Mayer in separate rooms, both concealed under blankets and clothing. Court records indicate that Casap had a possible exit wound near her right shoulder, while Mayer suffered a fatal wound to the back of his head.
Mayer’s mother had been out of contact with him for weeks and received “suspicious or weird text messages” from his phone on February 23. Meanwhile, Mayer’s sister last spoke with him on February 18, when he mentioned feeling unwell and taking a break from social media.
Surveillance and cellphone data tracked the movements of Mayer’s 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, which was last recorded on February 23. A neighbor reported seeing Nikita Casap driving the vehicle alone on that date. Authorities later confirmed through cellphone records that both Mayer’s and Casap’s phones were in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Casap’s device was tracked leaving Wisconsin on February 24, traveling through Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, and Colorado before being apprehended in Kansas.
On the night of February 28, police in WaKeeney, Kansas, stopped Mayer’s Volkswagen Atlas for a traffic violation. Nikita Casap was behind the wheel, with the family’s small black dog in the vehicle. Officers discovered a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum firearm inside the car, along with driver’s licenses belonging to both victims, ammunition, and spent shell casings. Authorities confirmed that Mayer owned a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum, which was missing from the crime scene.
Casap is currently in custody in Trego County, Kansas, where an extradition hearing was held. It remains unclear whether he will be returned to Wisconsin to face charges. His lawyer has not issued a statement.
As of now, prosecutors have not charged Casap with homicide, and the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department has yet to release further details on the case.
