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Schenectady County resident Nicholas Fiebka, of Schenectady, was convicted of two counts of murder and related charges on Friday, June 7, in the deaths of his mother Alesia Wadsworth and stepfather, William Horwedel.
Prosecutors said Fiebka entered his mother’s Princetown home on Nov. 21, 2022, armed with an AK-47 rifle with an illegal drum magazine capable of holding 75 rounds of ammunition and firing two shots with every trigger pull.
Surveillance video from a Ring camera showed that he was only inside the home for 32 seconds, during which time he discharged 44 rounds, killing both Wadsworth and Horwedel, who had raised him since he was 3.
Fiebka was arrested the following day while on his way to surrender to the Schenectady Police Department.
During the trial, defense attorneys argued that a schizophrenia diagnosis absolved him of any responsibility for the killings. A psychologist testified that Fiebka suffered from delusions that made him believe he was justified in killing his mother and stepfather.
Prosecutors, however, argued that despite suffering from mental illness, Fiebka was fully aware of his actions and that they were wrong.
Jurors also learned that he had a longstanding hatred of Wadsworth and that his mother had obtained an order of protection after evicting him in December 2021.
Among the evidence reviewed by jurors were internet searches that Fiebka made, including “manslaughter-definition,” “did Ted Bundy have any survivors,” “standoff meaning,” “deadliest school shooting in US history,” and “are psychopaths good at war.”
After deliberating for three hours, jurors found Fiebka guilty of the following:
- Two counts of first-degree murder
- Four counts of criminal possession of a weapon
- Criminal possession of a rapid-fire modification device
- Aggravated criminal contempt
Following the conviction, Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney thanked the victims’ family and friends for their presence in the courtroom throughout the trial.
“I think anybody that did view this trial would agree that Christina Tremante, in her cross-examination of the defense expert and in her summation, made it crystal clear that suffering from a mental disease is not enough, that the defense of insanity in a murder case is reserved for those that truly don’t understand that they are killing people or believe that doing so is not a crime or morally wrong,” Carney said.
“Nicholas Fiebka knew full well what he had done and that it was very wrong.”
Fiebka faces up to life in prison without parole when he’s sentenced at a later date.
Horwedel left behind three sons, two of whom are members of the New York State Police. The third is currently attending the State Police Academy.
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