Jury selected in Nicholas Kassotis’ murder trial

LIBERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - On Monday, a jury was seated for the trial of Nicholas Kassotis, a Liberty County man charged with malice murder and the dismemberment of his second wife.

The jury selection for Nicholas Kassotis’ trial took place at 9:00 a.m. Monday morning at the Liberty County Superior Court.

The prosecution and the defense both questioned jurors for several hours, narrowing down the pool of people from 164 to just 12, plus four alternates.

Kassotis’ family also attended.

The selection process took around three hours in all, with both sides zeroing in on jurors they did and did not want on the case.

The prosecution focused their questions on prospective jurors’ ability to stay impartial, and whether they trusted law enforcement.

The defense had some more personal questions.

They asked the jury pool whether they were victims of domestic violence, or had to pay alimony in a divorce. The defense also asked about whether the jury pool was familiar with the dark web, or whether they wrote fiction.

One prospective juror, who did not get picked, says she was surprised how specific the questions got.

“I actually was not expecting at all to relate to any type of question, but as a student myself, I write for school and I write for myself, so it was eye-opening to see how specific they get into those questions,” said prospective juror, Elayna Simpson.

Ultimately, Kassotis’ jury will be made up of seven women and five men.

There are eight black jurors and five white jurors.

Our previous coverage reveals Kassotis ended his relationship with his first wife owing her $1.5 million.

The trial is set to start at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday. The judge says he expects the trial to last two to three weeks.

Nicholas Kassotis Trial Details, Previous Coverage

The accused is charged with the death of his wife, Mindi Mebane Kassotis.

Her dismembered body was found in multiple places near Jones Road in Liberty and McIntosh Counties in December 2022, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Stay with WTOC for updates on the trial.