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
He let off a fatal volley of shots then hopped on an e-bike, melting into a city alive with CCTV cameras as witnesses called police. So why is the gunman who left UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson dead on the pavement still at large?

Gunman in Fatal Shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Still Free despite CCTV Footage and Witnesses Contacting Police

His victim was lying injured on the sidewalk and bystanders were already…
Fears real estate crisis is spreading beyond Florida as residents in Western city see condo fees skyrocket

Concerns grow over a possible real estate crisis expanding to Western city as locals witness sharp rise in condo fees

Condo residents in Utah have been left blindsided by a huge rise…
Princess Eugenie skips Kate Middleton's big night at Westminster Abbey - and this could be why

The Potential Reason Princess Eugenie was Absent from Kate Middleton’s Event at Westminster Abbey

One member of the royal family who did not attend the Princess…
The new Kate Middleton: Body language expert reveals the two signs that show how the Princess of Wales has changed after year from hell - and why she's now echoing Princess Diana

“Body Language Expert Identifies Two Signs of Transformation in Kate Middleton Since Facing Challenges, Drawing Parallel with Princess Diana”

Kate Middleton was far more ‘animated’ and ‘less guarded’ as she attended her…
‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 3 Trailer Ominously Promises That Rand Can Only Live if Moiraine Dies

Season 3 Trailer of ‘The Wheel of Time’ Hints at a Dark Fate for Rand, Suggesting Moiraine’s Sacrifice is His Only Hope for Survival.

Exciting news for fans of The Wheel of Time! The highly-anticipated Season…
Dexter Reed Chicago: Questions surround city's settlement with mom of man killed in Garfield Park police shooting

Uncovering the details of the settlement between Dexter Reed’s mother and the city of Chicago after Garfield Park police shooting

CHICAGO (WLS) — Dexter Reed was struck 13 times after four Chicago…
I'm Old Enough to Remember When the Bloodthirsty Left Told Americans to Shut Up About Health Care

I Remember When Liberal Critics Urged Americans to Be Quiet About Health Care

Back then, terms like crap sandwiches and porkulus were widely used in…
America's top internet sleuths reveal why they're REFUSING to help cops find UnitedHealthcare boss' assassin

“Internet Detectives in America Refuse to Aid Police in Finding the Assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO”

America’s top internet sleuths have refused to help law enforcement officials track…
‘Outlander’ Stars Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin Won’t Reveal if the Lallybroch Renovations Will Ever Be Finished: “Don’t Get Me Started” 

‘Outlander’ Cast Members Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin Keep Mum on Completion of Lallybroch Renovations: “I’d Rather Not Talk About It”

The latest episode of Outlander, Season 7 Episode 11 “A Hundredweight of…
The 'perverse' reason we've given up on California and are now fleeing to the other side of the world

The unusual reason we have abandoned California and are now escaping to a different part of the world

A writer disclosed that he and his spouse are leaving California for…
A Sad Tim Walz is ‘Surprised’ He and Kamala Lost, Blames America for Rejecting Their ‘Positive Message’

Tim Walz expresses disappointment and shock over his and Kamala’s loss, attributing it to America rejecting their optimistic message.

Suffice it to say there is no joy in Walzville. Mighty Kamala,…
Bashar al-Assad is mocked as rebels unearth photo of Syrian president in a tiny pair of Speedos - as militants take Homs and officials say government could fall 'in the next week'

Rebels find embarrassing photo of Syrian president in small swim trunks as they capture Homs and government faces possible collapse within the week

Bashar al-Assad has been mocked after rebels unearthed a photo of the…