Man arrested for death of wife whose remains were found at Georgia hunting club in 2022
Mindi Mebane Kassotis
LIBERTY COUNTY - A man has been arrested in connection to the death of his wife, whose remains were found in December 2022 in Riceboro. Nicholas James Kassotis, also known as Nicholas Killian James Stark, was arrested on May 12 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His wife, Mindi Mebane Kassotis, was 40 years old when her partial remains were discovered by hunters at the Portal Hunting Club. Further testing has revealed that the remains were placed in the area on or around Nov. 27, 2022.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents assigned to the investigation sought the FBI’s assistance with genealogy DNA, and they used a lab specializing in advanced testing. The GBI interviewed family members and obtained DNA swabs for comparison to the profile created through genealogy DNA. Mindi Kassotis was identified on May 11, 2023.
Nicholas Kassotis has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence, and removal of body parts from the scene of death or dismemberment. He is currently being held at the Lancaster County Prison awaiting extradition to Georgia.
The Kassotis' were living in Savannah at the time of Minid's death, according to the GBIA.
The GBI expressed gratitude to FBI Atlanta and FBI Baltimore for their assistance in identifying the victim, and FBI-Lancaster, PA, U.S. Marshals Service East Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force-Lancaster Office, Lancaster Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in the arrest. GBI Forensic Artist Kelly Lawson’s composite sketch also helped advance the investigation.
The use of genetic genealogy in this case allowed FBI personnel to construct family trees for possible family members of the victim/suspect by combing through public and government records. They compared the persons identified in the family trees with the location and timing of the crime to identify the likely suspect. Lastly, the FBI sought a comparison between the victim’s DNA and the DNA from a parent of the victim to verify the identity.