Mamta Bhatt update: Naresh Bhatt of Virginia charged with murder 4 months after wife disappeared in Manassas Park, Va.

MANASSAS PARK, Va. — A Virginia man has been charged with murder more than four months after his wife disappeared and a substantial amount of blood was found in their suburban Washington home, authorities announced Monday.

Naresh Bhatt, 37, was indicted by a Prince William County grand jury and faces a charge of murder as well as a count of defiling a dead body, according to online court documents.

The body of Mamta Bhatt, 28, has not been found. But investigators linked her DNA to the blood found in the couple’s home, Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo said Monday evening at a news conference.

“From the beginning, we believed that she was murdered,” Lugo told reporters.

Investigators conducted their first search warrant when Naresh Bhatt was home with the couple’s baby and discovered blood in the bedroom as well as the bathroom, Lugo said.

He added that evidence shows that Bhatt cut up his wife’s body, which prompted the defiling charge.

“I feel we have a strong case for not having the body,” Lugo said.

Chief Public Defender Tracey Lenox did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment on the new charges against Bhatt, who is already in jail awaiting trial on separate charges in the case.

The investigation has drawn international attention to the small northern Virginia community, where homicide cases are rare. The disappearance of Mamta Bhatt, a pediatric nurse, spurred community members and her family in Nepal to band together to try to figure out what happened.

They posted on social media, hosted community events and held a rally. Within days, community members began to apply public pressure on her husband.

Three weeks after her disappearance in late July, Naresh Bhatt was charged with a felony count of concealing a dead body and placed in jail, where he remains. A prosecutor had said in court over the summer that the amount of blood found in the home indicated injuries that were not survivable.

Flowers, candles and photos are placed near Mamta Kafle Bhatt's mailbox in Manassas Park, Va., Sept. 4, 2024.

Flowers, candles and photos are placed near Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s mailbox in Manassas Park, Va., Sept. 4, 2024.

AP Photo/Olivia Diaz, File

The investigation continued in Mamta Bhatt’s death. But in September, Lenox, the public defender, argued that Naresh Bhatt was still entitled to a speedy trial on the count of concealing a dead body. The trial on that charge was scheduled for next week.

Bodiless murder cases are not unheard of, according to law enforcement experts. And while they can still be difficult to prosecute, they’ve become easier in recent years because of new types of evidence, such as DNA, cellphone location information and surveillance cameras.

Tad DiBiase is a former federal prosecutor and author of the 2014 book, “No-Body Homicide Cases: A Practical Guide to Investigating, Prosecuting and Winning Cases When the Victim is Missing.”

He keeps a tally of bodiless murder trials on his website. As of September 2, DiBiase noted that there was an 87% conviction rate after 604 trials across the U.S.

Copyright © 2024 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like
Lower Merion home invasion: Police search for suspects after mother, son shot in Wynnewood, Pa.

Search for suspects ongoing after mother and son shot in home invasion in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania.

LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The search continues for at least two…
Trump claims Zelensky agreed to 'ceasefire' in Ukraine during meeting at Notre-Dame where he called one world leader a 'real live wire'

Trump asserts that during a meeting at Notre-Dame, Zelensky agreed to a ‘ceasefire’ in Ukraine, while describing another world leader as a ‘live wire’.

According to President-elect Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky desires to establish…
How to Watch New ‘Bluey’ Minisodes on Disney+

Guide to Watching Latest ‘Bluey’ Short Episodes on Disney+

Batch three of the Bluey minisodes are finally here! Episodes of the…
‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Episode 14 Preview Teases John Dutton’s Funeral And A Fiery Finale

Preview of Season 5 Episode 14 of ‘Yellowstone’ hints at John Dutton’s funeral and an intense ending

As Yellowstone Season 5 draws to a close, fans of Taylor Sheridan’s…
Amy Adams Flustered After Drew Barrymore Explains The Meaning Of Netflix And Chill: “Oh, You Guys!”

Amy Adams Left Feeling Confused by Drew Barrymore’s Explanation of “Netflix and Chill”: “Oh, That’s What It Means!”

Every day presents an opportunity to acquire new knowledge. During a recent…
Texas lawyer issues defiant response after attacks over accusations Jay Z raped 13-year-old girl with Diddy after MTV VMAs

Texas attorney gives strong reply after facing backlash for claims Jay Z and Diddy assaulted a 13-year-old girl following MTV VMAs

The Texas attorney who submitted a number of anonymous complaints against hip…
MAUREEN CALLAHAN: Daniel Penny is a vindicated hero. Now it's up to us to warn the vengeful BLM extremists that if anything happens to him, there'll be all hell to pay

Maureen Callahan: Daniel Penny’s innocence has been proven. We must now alert the angry BLM extremists that there will be serious consequences if any harm comes to him

Daniel Penny has been vindicated. So has America. The jury’s decision to…
See Selena Gomez’s Floored Reaction To Golden Globe Noms For ‘Emilia Pérez’ And ‘Only Murders’: “Oh My God!”

Selena Gomez’s Surprised Response to Golden Globe Nominations for ‘Emilia Pérez’ and ‘Only Murders’: “Oh wow!”

Selena Gomez could not hide her shock when she learned she had…
Missing mom who worked at Walmart discovered dead inside hammock in Alabama forest... two months after she disappeared

Mother who was employed at Walmart found deceased in a hammock in a forest in Alabama after vanishing for two months

An Ohio mother was found dead inside a hammock after vanishing two months…
Former Chicago White Sox star Dick Allen elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

Dick Allen, a former star player for the Chicago White Sox, has been chosen to join the Baseball Hall of Fame.

DALLAS — After patiently awaiting recognition from Cooperstown for almost 30 years,…
Adam Kinzinger Stomps His Little Foot and Insists He’s Not Afraid of Trump’s Jail Threat

Adam Kinzinger bravely stands his ground against Trump’s jail threat

Adam Kinzinger, who was deeply upset by the Capitol protests in 2021,…
To Protect His Wife, Canada Man Takes on Apex Predator and Lives to Tell the Tale

Canadian Man Defeats Apex Predator to Save his Wife and Survives to Share the Story

What wouldn’t a real man do to protect his family? In a…