In brief
Nikita Casap, an 18-year-old from Wisconsin, is set to enter a plea deal this Thursday regarding the alleged murders of his mother and stepfather, which he reportedly committed to finance an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Facing homicide charges and more, his case has attracted national attention for its shocking nature and the alleged motivations behind his actions. A federal warrant has also linked him to a broader conspiracy involving drone and explosive purchases.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man accused of killing his parents and stealing their money to fund a plan to assassinate President Donald Trump is set to enter a plea deal resolving the case Thursday.
Nikita Casap, 18, is expected to agree to the deal during a morning hearing in Waukesha County Circuit Court in suburban Milwaukee. He faces multiple charges, including two homicide counts, two counts of hiding a corpse, and theft, with a trial scheduled to begin March 2.
Online court records did not list the terms of the plea agreement. Harm Venhuizen, a spokesperson for the state public defender’s office, which is representing Casap, stated that state Supreme Court ethics rules prevent the office from commenting on cases. The Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office has not responded to inquiries about the deal.
According to a criminal complaint, investigators believe Casap shot his mother, Tatiana Casap, and his stepfather, Donald Mayer, at their home in the village of Waukesha around February 11.
He allegedly lived with the decomposing bodies for several weeks before fleeing across the country in his stepfather’s SUV, taking $14,000 in cash, jewelry, passports, his stepfather’s gun, and the family dog with him. He was arrested during a traffic stop in Kansas on February 28.
Federal authorities have accused Casap of planning his parents’ murders, buying a drone and explosives, and sharing his plans with others, including a Russian speaker. A federal search warrant indicated he wrote a manifesto calling for Trump’s assassination and was in communication regarding plans to kill Trump and overthrow the U.S. government.
The warrant noted, “The killing of his parents appeared to be an effort to obtain the financial means and autonomy necessary to carrying out his plan.”
Detectives found messages on Casap’s cellphone from January 2025, where he inquires about how long he will have to hide before moving to Ukraine. An unknown individual responded in Russian, but details of the conversation were not disclosed. Additionally, Casap questioned if he could lead a normal life in Ukraine if it were discovered what he had done.
