A Wisconsin Judge handed Nikita Casap a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murder of his mother, Tatiana Casap, and stepfather, Donald Mayer. The teen pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional homicide, and the punishment for his crimes carries a mandatory life sentence, but still a chance at a life after prison. However, the judge refused to allow an extended release.
Brutal Murders of Loving Parents
Prosecutors say that Casap fatally shot both his mother and stepfather in their Wisconsin home on February 11, 2025. He cohabited the home with the victims’ bodies for two weeks as he continued to plan his terrorist plot. In court on Thursday, March 5, 2026, Casap addressed his criminal actions. “What I did was vile,” Casap said. “What I did was thoughtless. What I did was wrong.”
Casap formed an unhealthy obsession with terrorism after a deadly attack at a Christmas market in Germany left six people dead on December 20, 2024. A 51-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia named Taleb al-Abdulmohsen intentionally drove an SUV into a crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany. While only 6 people died, including four women and a 9-year-old, over 300 others were injured and left traumatized. The terrorist suspect appeared to act alone and had expressed anti-Islamic views.
“The truth is, I became obsessed with hateful thoughts and feelings,” Casap said in court on Thursday. “I thought the world was a sick, evil place.” He began to speak with others who were plotting an attack on the United States through online chat rooms. “I thought I was part of a revolution,” he explained. “Part of a war. And I told myself that bad things had to happen in war.”
Plot to Assassinate
Prosecutors admitted they are unclear on where the plot to murder his parents originated from, but after Casap did so, he stole money from their bank accounts and bought supplies for the attack using Bitcoin. He supposedly spent over $8,700 buying a fake license plate, a drone, and explosives to attach to the drone. According to prosecutors, Casap’s elaborate plan was to fly the drone and explosives to kill President Donald Trump.
When Casap was asked in an interview with federal agents about killing his parents, he said he was waiting on further instructions on how to carry out the assassination attempt “when he wound up doing ‘the Tuesday thing.‘” Prosecutors confirmed after an extensive federal investigation that the entire plan was a hoax.
No other arrests were made in connection to the assassination plan, and the people that Casap was communicating with online had no intentions of supplying him with anything and saw him as an easy mark.
Nikita Casap Shares Regret
Casap’s ultimate betrayal to his parents came as a shock as he came here with his mother from Moldova and was “a kid who had it all,” according to the prosecution who also noted that he had loving parents, a safe home, and anything he needed.
“I know that my mom and Donald were kind, loving people. They were people who took care of me, and they were people who took care of others,” he said during sentencing. “The person I chose to kill was the person who loved me no matter what. … I miss my mom. I would much rather be with her and my stepdad now in Heaven than being on Earth.”
No Second Chances
In one last desperate attempt to help Casap’s situation, his defense attorney urged the judge to see the defendant as a vulnerable child who is capable of change and has already proven it while incarcerated. Casap had dedicated his life to Jesus Christ while serving his time, but Judge Ralph Ramirez was unphased.
“I choose to find he’s not eligible for release for extended supervision,” Judge Ramirez ruled. “I do not know, given what happened here, when or if or whether a profound or significant change can occur.” However, the judge did suggest that Casap could gain privileges if he is on good behavior behind bars.
