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
ABC7 Great Chicago Blood Drive with American Red Cross to kick off Jan. 15-16

ABC7 Chicago’s Big Blood Drive with American Red Cross starts on January 15-16

CHICAGO (WLS) — The clock is ticking! On Wednesday, Nov. 20, we…
UnitedHealthcare CEO's assassin is hailed a hero by an army of Americans: Murder triggers outpouring of hate directed at health insurance industry with killer lauded as 'man of the people'

American Public Praises Killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO as Hero, Sparking Wave of Hostility Towards Health Insurance Industry

The brutal killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson has sparked a flurry…
Six new 'Bluey Minisodes' are coming to Disney+

Disney+ will be releasing six new ‘Bluey Minisodes’ soon.

Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli are back for more adventures in six…
Glamorous female lawmaker, 30, 'bullied male aide into sex then made him run her errands'

“A 30-Year-Old Female Lawmaker Allegedly Coerced a Male Aide into Sexual Acts and Tasked Him with Errands”

A glamorous Washington state lawmaker bullied a male aide into sex, then…
Humboldt Park news: City of Chicago begins clearing homeless encampment near North and California avenues

Clearing of homeless camp near North and California avenues in Humboldt Park initiated by City of Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) — All Porfiro Elliott and his fiancée Melissa Johnson can…
New Starbucks CEO claims he'll fix coffee chain's most infuriating problem... people don't believe him

The new Starbucks CEO vows to solve the most frustrating issue at the coffee chain, but many remain skeptical.

Starbucks has lost tens millions of customers this year after coffee drinkers…
NFL ends review of sexual assault allegations levied against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in sexual assault case

NFL closes investigation into sexual assault accusations against Deshaun Watson, the Cleveland Browns quarterback, in sexual assault lawsuit.

The NFL has concluded its investigation into the sexual assault accusations made…
Elizabeth Pollard search: Body of woman who fell into western Pennsylvania sinkhole has been recovered

Woman’s Body Found in a Sinkhole in Western Pennsylvania, Identified as Elizabeth Pollard

UNITY TWP., Pa. — The body of a woman who fell into…
Court tosses conviction of ex-Northwestern University Prof. Wyndham Lathem in Chicago stabbing death of Trent Cornell-Duranleau

Ex-Northwestern University Professor Wyndham Lathem’s conviction overturned in Chicago stabbing death of Trent Cornell-Duranleau

CHICAGO (WLS) — An Illinois appeals court has overturned the conviction of…
'Corrosive Damage': FBI Arrests Boston City Council Member on Corruption Charges Involving Her Family

Boston City Council Member Arrested by FBI for Corruption Linked to Her Family

There are numerous stories about corruption involving Democrats in major cities nationwide,…
R.I.P. Thom Christopher: ‘One Life To Live’ Soap Opera Star Dead At 84

Thom Christopher, Star of ‘One Life To Live’ Soap Opera, Passes Away at 84

One Life to Live star Thom Christopher has passed away, Deadline reports.…
‘Outlander’ Stars Caitriona Balfe and David Berry Explain Why Claire and Lord John Grey’s Sex Scene was “Vulnerable,” “Raw,” and Even “Beautiful”

The actors of ‘Outlander’, Caitriona Balfe and David Berry, share insights on why Claire and Lord John Grey’s intimate scene was described as “vulnerable,” “raw,” and “beautiful.”

Outlander Season 7 Episode 11 “A Hundredweight of Stones” could be deemed…