MANASSAS, Va. - The trial of Naresh Bhatt, the Manassas Park man accused of murdering and dismembering his wife, 28-year-old pediatric nurse Mamta Kafle Bhatt, continues in a Virginia courtroom Monday.
Prosecutors presented a substantial piece of physical evidence in their case against him as the trial continued last week. With assistance from prosecutors, Prince William County Police investigator Joseph Restino unrolled an approximately 8-by-10-foot section of carpet before the jury.
Restino testified that he cut the carpet from the primary bedroom of the couple's home. The jury was shown evidence photographs of a suspected bloodstain found underneath the carpeting in an area where forensic testing had previously produced a positive reaction to the chemical reagent Bluestar.
RELATED: Bedroom carpet presented as suspected blood evidence in Naresh Bhatt murder trial
Bhatt, who has remained in custody since his arrest in August 2024, faces charges of first-degree murder, concealing a dead body, and defiling a dead body.
The case began when Mamta failed to report for her shift at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center on Aug. 1, 2024. Her co-workers requested a welfare check at the couple's Heather Court home the following day after she missed two consecutive shifts.
Bhatt initially told responding officers he did not believe his wife was missing, claiming he last saw her on July 29. However, family and friends insisted she would never abandon her infant daughter.
RELATED: Mother, friend of Mamta Kafle Bhatt testify in her husband Naresh Bhatt’s murder trial
Bhatt called police to file a missing persons report on Aug. 5, 2024. Investigators initially lacked information suggesting she was in danger, as Bhatt told an officer she threatened to disappear and raised the possibility of a divorce. However, authorities officially declared her involuntarily missing on Aug. 5, 2024.
Investigators arrested Bhatt on Aug. 22, 2024, after discovering large bloodstains in the primary bedroom and bathroom. According to court documents, investigators seized a power saw containing hair fragments from the residence and gathered evidence indicating Bhatt visited multiple trash disposal sites. Her body has not been recovered.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press, court proceedings and previous FOX 5 reporting.