Opening statements begin in Kassotis murder trial

LIBERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - Opening statements began in the trial of a man accused of killing his wife and dismembering her body.

Nicholas Kassotis is facing multiple charges in the tragic death of Mindi Mebane Kassotis.

That includes malice murder.

According to law enforcement, Mindi’s body was found dismembered on the grounds of a hunting club in Liberty and McIntosh Counties back in December 2023.

Kassotis murder trial begins

Opening statements from both sides brought new information to light.

For one, we learned more about the discovery of Mindi’s remains, including testimonies from the hunters who found her, the police that arrived on the scene shortly after, and a special agent that specializes in crime scene investigation.

We learned about multiple objects in close proximity to where her remains were found.

One of those objects- a Milwaukee knife.

While the defense denied any correlation, the state showed photo and receipt evidence of Kassotis purchasing the same style of knife on the same day that the state claims Mindi was murdered.

Another, a plastic tub that was alleged to carry Mindi’s remains.

One of the more interesting items found was actually numerous of the same item, something akin to a Clorox wipe.

The prosecution claims these wipes illustrate how Kassotis, a former prosecutor, tried to cover his tracks.

“Those wipes were everywhere. There were lots of them that were recovered because the killer didn’t want to leave behind evidence. I submit to you that the killer was a prosecutor. I submit to you that the evidence is going to show that he would have known to clean up,” said State attorney Laurie Baio.

A key part of the defense’s statement mentioned a man named Jim McIntyre, who allegedly controlled both Nicholas and Mindi’s lives.

The state believes the two went on the run due to a debt of $1.5 million to Nicholas’ first wife, but the defense says that this Jim McIntyre made it impossible for that debt to be paid.

This figure who has yet to be deemed real will likely play a key role in understanding the context of Mindi’s death.