Trial Date Set For Chapel Hill Teen Accused Of Killing Parents

ORANGE COUNTY, N.C. — A Chapel Hill teenager accused of killing his parents, then leaving their bodies in the family's house for nearly two weeks, is now scheduled to go to trial this fall.

Lawyers set an October 30 trial date for Adam Sapikowski, 17, who police have said confessed to killing his parents, James Sapikowski, 52, and Alison Sapikowski, 49. Superior Court Judge Carl Fox is expected to preside over the trial, which is expected to last approximately two weeks.

Chapel Hill police found the couple dead in their home on May 14 after receiving a call from a concerned relative. Shortly after discovering the bodies, they arrested Adam Sapikowski and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder.

Investigators have said they believe the teenager may have shot his parents as early as the weekend of April 30, 2005 -- the same time in which he attended his high school prom.

Prosecutors have also said they believe Sapikowski may have been preparing to leave the area. Investigators found a sport utility vehicle loaded up with camping equipment, food and a .410-caliber shotgun that police believe he used to kill his parents.

Sapikowski was moved to Central Prison from the Orange County Jail last September after he expressed concerns to jail officials that he might be suicidal. He was also diagnosed as having posttraumatic stress disorder and, according to psychiatrists, has had flashbacks of killing his parents. Psychiatrists have also testified that Sapikowski is no longer suicidal.

During a court hearing in June, Sapikowski's former court-appointed attorney, James Williams, suggested that the teenager might have been a victim of abuse. Two Raleigh lawyers, Gaskins and Rosemary Godwin, have since taken over Sapikowski's defense.