A man accused of killing his wife and then dismembering her and leaving parts of her body in Liberty County woods was denied a bond reduction Monday morning.

Nicholas Kassotis was arrested last year and charged with killing his wife, Mindi Mebane. Hunters outside of Riceboro discovered her body parts in December 2022.

Superior Court Judge Paul Rose denied a bond reduction for Kassotis. Defense attorney Jay Abt requested the bond reduction, stating Kassotis did not pose a flight risk since he had limited funds available to him. Bond was set in August 2023 for Kassotis at $5 million in cash or $10 million in property.

Prosecutors, however, told Judge Rose that Kassotis is a flight risk since he holds different driver’s licenses with different names.

Kassotis is being charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence, and removal of body parts from scene of death or dismemberment.

He was indicted February 20 on 12 charges, including one count of malice murder and one count of felony murder. Kassotis waived formal arraignment on February 23 and entered a plea of not guilty.

Kassotis, who also has gone by Nicholas Killian James Stark, was arrested May 12, 2023 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Mebane’s body was found on hunting club property stretching over the Liberty and McIntosh county lines. The couple was living in Savannah at the time and were married in November 2016. Mebane was a writer and business owner and Kassotis previously served in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Corps.

Interviews with family members and DNA swabs helped confirm Mebane’s identity in May 2023.