Roksana Sikorski is a Michigan woman who, at age 15, stabbed her 12-year-old adopted brother in the throat during an October 2014 plot to kill her entire adoptive family in Plymouth Township. Prosecutors said the attack was directed by her 23-year-old boyfriend, Michael Rivera, who texted her instructions from outside the house. She pleaded guilty to assault with intent to murder and was sentenced in March 2016 to 10 to 20 years in prison. Rivera was convicted at trial and is serving life without parole.
The Night of the Attack
At roughly 2:00 a.m. on October 17, 2014, the Sikorski family was asleep in their Plymouth Township home. Rivera waited outside and communicated with Roksana by text message.1NBC News. Roksana Sikorski, 15, Backed by Parents She Allegedly Plotted to Kill Prosecutors said he sent detailed instructions, including advice on which knife to use, a diagram of the neck, and direction to cut like a tomato and make sure the victims stopped breathing.2CBS News Detroit. Teen, Older Boyfriend to Be Tried in Plot to Kill Family
Roksana went into her 12-year-old brother Lukas’s bedroom and slashed his throat, inflicting multiple stab wounds.3The Detroit News. Plymouth Twp Teen Charged in Plot to Kill Family She then moved toward her 11-year-old sister, Angelica, but both children started screaming. The noise woke the parents, and Roksana fled the house.4NBC Chicago. Michigan Girl Gets 10 to 20 Years for Plotting to Kill Family Lukas survived and was expected to make a full recovery. No one else was seriously injured.
Who Roksana Was
Roksana and two younger siblings were adopted from an orphanage in Myślowice, in southern Poland, by Jeffrey and Laurene Sikorski. She was about four and a half when the adoption took place.5Detroit Free Press. Teen Accused of Attempted Murder in Plymouth From Poland The family described the children’s earlier home as one “fraught with physical abuse” and severe neglect.3The Detroit News. Plymouth Twp Teen Charged in Plot to Kill Family
Before the attack, Roksana had been diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, and she had been hospitalized at Havenwyck Hospital for depression and delusions.5Detroit Free Press. Teen Accused of Attempted Murder in Plymouth From Poland Her defense attorney, Leslie Posner, later argued that she also suffered from reactive attachment disorder, a condition linked to early childhood neglect that experts said can produce volatile behavior and intense dependence on perceived attachments.1NBC News. Roksana Sikorski, 15, Backed by Parents She Allegedly Plotted to Kill
Michael Rivera’s Role
At some point before the attack, Roksana began a relationship with Michael Angelo Rivera, a 23-year-old from Detroit. Her parents suspected the relationship was sexual, and because she was below Michigan’s age of consent, Jeffrey Sikorski contacted Plymouth Township police during the summer of 2014.6Patch. Plymouth Twp Teen Gets 10-20 Years in Plot to Kill Family Rivera was not arrested at that time. According to the defense, once the family began pursuing statutory rape charges, Rivera pressured Roksana to eliminate her family so he could avoid prosecution.1NBC News. Roksana Sikorski, 15, Backed by Parents She Allegedly Plotted to Kill
Rivera was tried separately in Wayne County Circuit Court. On July 23, 2015, a jury found him guilty of four counts of conspiracy to commit murder, one count of assault with intent to murder, and one count of felonious assault.7WDIV ClickOnDetroit. Man Found Guilty in Murder Plot on Plymouth Township Family On August 13, 2015, Judge William Callahan sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.8The Detroit News. Life Sentence for Detroiter in Plymouth Township Attack
Charged as an Adult
Roksana was charged with seven counts: four counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree premeditated murder, assault with intent to murder, using a computer to commit a crime, and felonious assault.9Justia. People v. Sikorski, No. 327393 Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy made the unusual decision to charge the 15-year-old as an adult, saying publicly that while it was “rare for this office to charge a 15-year-old as an adult,” the facts “strongly warrant this decision” and the alleged conspiracy to kill an entire family was “truly haunting.”10Los Angeles Times. Michigan Teen, Boyfriend Charged in Plot to Kill Family
The decision drew criticism from Roksana’s own family, who said she belonged in juvenile court, where she could receive treatment. Plymouth Township Police Chief Thomas Tiderington described the case as illustrating the “difficult decisions” courts face when a child is simultaneously a victim and a perpetrator. Judge James Callahan noted her “childlike demeanor,” observing that during her police questioning she had appeared to fall asleep and spent much of the conversation talking about candy.11Patch. Family Thinks Daughter, 15, Overcharged in Plot to Kill Them
The Suppressed Confession
Roksana had been interrogated for about 90 minutes after her arrest. When the detective presented a waiver-of-rights form, she asked whether the form meant she should not speak to him. Rather than clarify, the detective reminded her that her mother had given police permission to speak with her. Laurene Sikorski had told Roksana to “tell the police everything,” but she was not in the room when her daughter expressed confusion about her rights.9Justia. People v. Sikorski, No. 327393
The trial court suppressed the confession, finding that Roksana had not knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently waived her rights. The court pointed to her youth, her lack of experience as a suspect, her abuse history and PTSD, and the conflict of interest in having her mother, one of the intended victims, effectively authorize the interrogation.9Justia. People v. Sikorski, No. 327393 On October 20, 2015, the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed the suppression order, leaving prosecutors without the confession as they prepared to try her.
Guilty Plea and Sentence
With Rivera already convicted and her confession suppressed, Roksana reached a plea agreement. On February 22, 2016, she pleaded guilty to a single count of assault with intent to murder before Judge James Callahan.12CBS News. 16-Year-Old Girl Enters Guilty Plea in Plot to Kill Family Members The four conspiracy counts, the computer charge, and the felonious assault count were dismissed.13Courthouse News Service. Mich Teen Pleads Guilty to Plot to Kill Family
On March 28, 2016, Judge Callahan sentenced her to 10 to 20 years in prison, with credit for 528 days already served.14Fox 29. Teen Sentenced to 10-20 Years for Plotting to Kill Her Adoptive Family The judge called her actions “unfortunate” and “bizarre,” and said she had been “swayed” by Rivera.15The Detroit News. Teen Who Plotted to Kill Parents Gets Years The court agreed to let her remain at the Calumet Correctional Facility in Highland Park until she turned 18, after which she would transfer to the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility. She was ordered to undergo extensive psychiatric testing and treatment.
In her statement to the court, Roksana apologized tearfully: “I would like to apologize to my family for not being the daughter they wished I would be, and I promise that I will get better no matter what happens.”14Fox 29. Teen Sentenced to 10-20 Years for Plotting to Kill Her Adoptive Family
A Family That Stood by Her
One of the most striking features of the case was the support Roksana received from the family she had tried to harm. At a court appearance shortly after the attack, Laurene Sikorski told the court plainly, “We’re not going to throw her back.”16MLive. Parents of Plymouth Twp Teen Support Daughter
Both parents advocated for treatment over incarceration. At sentencing, Laurene described her daughter as a “loving” girl who “fell under the spell” of her older boyfriend and said “nothing will benefit this child by sending her to jail.” She asked the court to make sure Roksana received mental health care and spoke of the milestones her daughter would miss. Jeffrey Sikorski said he was “disgusted” at how the case had unfolded and voiced concern about his daughter’s vulnerability in an adult prison.15The Detroit News. Teen Who Plotted to Kill Parents Gets Years Both parents maintained that the attack could have been prevented if police had acted on Jeffrey’s summer 2014 report about Rivera.6Patch. Plymouth Twp Teen Gets 10-20 Years in Plot to Kill Family
After sentencing, Roksana’s parents pursued a motion for a new trial, arguing that trial attorney Matthew Evans should not have allowed her to plead guilty. On May 26, 2017, Roksana appeared by video before Wayne County Circuit Judge Thomas Hathaway and formally withdrew the motion. Her appellate attorney, Jacqueline Ouvry, told the court the withdrawal was Sikorski’s own decision.17WDIV ClickOnDetroit. Plymouth Twp Teen Who Admitted to Family Murder Plot Drops Motion to Withdraw Guilty Plea
Where the Case Stands
With the appeal withdrawn, Roksana’s 10-to-20-year sentence stands. With 528 days of credit dating to her October 2014 arrest, her earliest parole eligibility would fall around 2024 or 2025. Publicly available reporting in the research does not confirm her current custody status. Rivera continues to serve life without parole for his role in orchestrating the attack.