A Wisconsin teen pleaded guilty on Thursday to killing his parents so he could steal their money and fund an assassination attempt on President Trump — possibly sending him behind bars for life.
Nikita Casap, 18, was trembling in his seat as he pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree intentional homicide in Waukesha County Circuit Court for the murders of his stepfather, Donald Mayer, and his mother, Tatiana Casap, last year.
When asked by Judge Ralph Ramirez whether he understood the ramifications of his guilty plea, and if he had gunned down his mother and stepfather, Casap responded, “Yes, your honor.”
Casap trembled in his seat at the defense table as Ramirez asked him if he understood the ramifications of his pleas and whether he shot his mother and Mayer.
He responded “Yes, your honor” to everything.
Prosecutors dropped seven other charges against Casap in a plea deal, including two counts of hiding a corpse and theft.
Investigators believe Casap shot his stepfather and mother at their Waukesha home sometime around Feb. 11 and lived with their rotting bodies for weeks.
The teen then fled across the country in his stepfather’s SUV after snatching $14,000 in cash, jewelry, passports, his stepfather’s gun, and the family dog, according to a criminal complaint.
He was cuffed on Feb. 28 during a traffic stop in Kansas, authorities said.
A federal search warrant revealed Casap had written a manifesto calling for Trump’s assassination, and was in cahoots with others about his plan to kill the president and overthrow the US government.
Federal officials accused Casap of plotting his parents’ murders, buying drones and explosives, and sharing his plans with others, including a Russian speaker.
“The killing of his parents appeared to be an effort to obtain the financial means and autonomy necessary to carrying out his plan,” the federal warrant said.
Detectives also discovered several disturbing messages on Casap’s cellphone from the month before his parents’ murders, where the teen asked how long he would have to hide before he could be moved to Ukraine.
An unknown individual speaking Russian responded to Casap, but authorities did not reveal in the complaint what the person said.
“So, while in Ukraine, I’ll be able to live a normal life? Even if it’s found out I did it?” Casap asked.
Each homicide count carries a mandatory life prison sentence, though Ramirez could opt to make the killer eligible for parole after serving 20 years on each count behind bars.
District Attorney Lesli Boese told reporters outside court that her goal was to force Casap to accept responsibility for his parents’ deaths and that two mandatory life sentences amount to sufficient punishment.
She said she will push Ramirez to deny Casap any chance at parole, adding that he is a “danger to the community” and that she didn’t want to take any chances that he could be rehabilitated.
Casap is slated to be sentenced on March 5.
With Post wires
