The Wisconsin teenager who was arrested in Iowa hours after his mom and stepdad were found slain back home was known as a diligent student who won praise from at least one teacher for his "great work ethic."
Donald Mayer, 51, and his wife, Tatiana Casap, 35, were found dead in their home in Waukesha on Friday.
Sheriff's deputies found the couple in law enforcement welfare checks requested by Mayer's mother, who hadn't heard from her son recently, and by the school Casap's 17-year-old son attends, according to a warrant seeking the teen’s arrest on suspicion of car and gun theft.
The boy "had previously had perfect school attendance but had not been present at school for two weeks," the warrant said.
In December 2022, the teenager was honored as one of Waukesha West High School’s students of the month. Physical education teacher Derrick Amrhein praised the teen for having a "great work ethic," saying he "does not hesitate to find clarity when needed."
"He is a strong advocate for his success and works diligently to maintain a high level of rigor," Amrhein added in the honor posted on the school's website. "He is very polite and works well both in a small and large group setting."
Amrhein could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. A School District of Waukesha spokesperson declined to comment Wednesday when asked about Waukesha truancy policies.
The spokesperson directed NBC News to the school board's attendance policy, a 3,000-word document that doesn't detail the district's policy for how long a student can miss class before it investigates.
State PTA President Andi Krizan-Burns said most public schools wouldn't panic over 10 days away.
"It's a question of resources," Krizan-Burns said. "It'd be a lot to go after every one of them [an absent student] who may be out for two weeks because they have meningitis."
Krizan-Burns said the teen's dedication to school also might have played a role in the school's not checking in so long.
"It's the kids who are habitually truant, then that's when they'll [more likely and more quickly] go after them," she said.
Timeline of Donald Mayer, Tatiana Casap slayings, according to teen's arrest warrant
- Feb. 18: Last known conversation between Mayer and his sister as “Victim A stated that he had been pretty sick and was going to take some time off of social media.”
- Feb. 23: -Judith Mayer received “suspicious or weird text … purportedly from" her adult son. Also that day, neighbor Paul Frantz recalls seeing Mayer's son driving the victim's car.
- Feb. 24: Pings from the teen's cellphone show he left Waukesha at about 10 a.m. as he “took a general route through Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado.” Then, from 2:25 to 2:50 p.m., the young driver visited The World’s Largest Truckstop in Walcott, Iowa, as the camera shows him in his dad’s car with the family dog.
- Feb. 25: Mayer's boss said he received a text from the victim, stating that "he was sick and couldn’t talk on the phone.”
- Friday: Deputies enter the family house to find Casap's body at 1:52 p.m. and then come upon Mayer's remains at 5 p.m. Their teenage son was pulled over in WaKeeney, Iowa, 800 miles away, at 11:25 p.m.
The husband-and-wife victims had been married for nine years after they met online when she was living in Moldova, said the man’s mother, Judith Mayer.
She said she was always impressed with how quickly Casap’s son picked up English and acclimated himself to an American school.
The teenager was arrested Friday after he ran a stop sign in WaKeeney, Iowa, WaKeeney Police Chief Michael Romero said in a statement.
"The subject was taken into custody with no further incident. The subject was identified and found out to be a juvenile wanted out of Wisconsin," he said. "The subject is a person of interest in a double homicide that this Wisconsin sheriffs office is still investigating."
