Naresh Bhatt, a man from Virginia, has been convicted of first-degree murder by a jury in Manassas. The verdict concludes a six-week trial in which prosecutors argued that Bhatt killed his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, and then dismembered her body to hide the evidence. Bhatt will be sentenced in March, where he faces a potential life sentence for his crimes.
The defense maintained that Bhatt woke up in July 2024 to find his 28 year old wife dead in their bedroom. He claimed she had taken her own life using a pesticide after the couple had argued and exchanged threats of divorce and suicide in the days prior. Bhatt testified that he attempted to revive her but eventually gave up. He stated that he took their infant daughter to a babysitter with the intention of returning home to end his own life.
However, Bhatt admitted that he changed his mind and went to Home Depot and Walmart to purchase items to hide a body. He bought knives and cleaning supplies, which he used along with a saw to cut up her body so it would fit into a garbage can. When asked by his attorney, Tracey Lenox, why he did not call 911, Bhatt said he was really scared and did not report her missing for several days.
Senior assistant attorney Sarah Sami from Prince William County’s commonwealth’s attorney office called the defense story ridiculous. She told the court that Bhatt wanted jurors to believe he had nothing to do with Mamta’s death despite cutting her up and stuffing her into a trash can. Sami argued that while Bhatt was a terrible husband, Mamta did not commit suicide because of his behavior. She described the marriage as a kingdom of torture where Bhatt, who is from Nepal, reigned as a controlling and obsessive king who denied his wife access to money and their car.
Jurors reviewed surveillance footage showing Bhatt tossing large items into dumpsters near the couple’s residence. They also heard details about his internet searches, which included queries about what happens if a spouse disappears and how to donate a baby to a friend. Mario Lugo, chief of the Manassas Park police department, told a Washington DC news affiliate last year that Mamta Bhatt’s remains might never be found.
Gita Kafle, the victim’s mother, testified that her daughter would never have abandoned their child, who is now three years old. Lennox urged the jury to acquit Bhatt on the charge of concealing a dead body, arguing that his actions were not committed with malice. Despite this, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, concealing a dead body, and defiling a dead body.
Holly Wirth, a friend and colleague of Mamta Bhatt, expressed relief to reporters that the truth had finally come out. She stated that Bhatt killed her, defiled her, and threw her away like trash. The case has drawn significant attention to the dynamics of the relationship and the subsequent efforts to hide the victim’s remains.
