Cell phone, vehicle tracking data presented in Naresh Bhatt murder trial
Neighbor testifies that Naresh Bhatt never said wife was missing
Neighbors testified in Naresh Bhatt's murder trial Tuesday, saying he never told them his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, was missing.
MANASSAS, Va. - Cell phone and vehicle tracking records were presented in Naresh Bhatt’s murder trial Tuesday. Naresh is accused of killing and dismembering his wife, 28-year-old Mamta Kafle Bhatt.
What we know:
An FBI expert took the witness stand to review cell phone records for both Naresh and his wife, as well as tracking data from Naresh’s blue Tesla. The expert testified that the records generally placed them in the same area at all times, with three exceptions. In one instance highlighted during testimony, Mamta Kafle’s phone did not move with Naresh’s Tesla as the vehicle traveled to Chantilly.
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Neighbors testify
Neighbors from three different homes also testified on Tuesday, telling the court that Naresh never informed them that his wife was missing.
Multiple neighbors said they had not seen or heard from Mamta Kafle since July 2024 and only learned of her disappearance through a Facebook page.
Neighbor Robyn Fennell testified that on August 1, 2024, Naresh did not notify her that his wife was missing or ask for assistance in locating her. Fennell said she first discovered Mamta Kafle was missing on August 5 via Facebook.
READ MORE | Mother, friend of Mamta Kafle Bhatt testify in her husband Naresh Bhatt’s murder trial
Another neighbor, Rajeev Dhakal, testified that Naresh did not tell him Mamta Kafle was missing. Dhakal noted he had previously had an uncomfortable conversation with Naresh regarding the couple's marriage, during which Naresh reportedly said he was considering divorce.
Neighbor Roger Stone also testified that Naresh never mentioned his wife was missing or sought help locating her. Stone added that he did not notice a change in Naresh and noted that Naresh was considered a newcomer to the neighborhood. According to Stone, Naresh was not included in neighborhood plans or private group chats.
The backstory:
The ongoing trial follows the August 2024 disappearance of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, who failed to report for her shift at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center on August 1, 2024. Co-workers requested a welfare check at the couple's Heather Court home the following day after she missed two consecutive shifts.
Naresh initially told responding officers he did not believe his wife was missing, claiming he had last seen her on July 29, though family and friends said she would never abandon her infant daughter.
READ MORE | Mother, friend of Mamta Kafle Bhatt testify in her husband Naresh Bhatt’s murder trial
Naresh called police to officially file a missing persons report on August 5, 2024. While he initially told an officer that Mamta had threatened to disappear and raised the possibility of divorce, authorities classified her as involuntarily missing later that day.
Police arrested Naresh on August 22, 2024, following the discovery of extensive bloodstains in the home's primary bedroom and bathroom. Court documents said investigators recovered a power saw containing hair fragments from the home and gathered evidence that Bhatt visited multiple trash disposal sites.
A Prince William County crime scene investigator testified Monday about the examination of that power saw, which prosecutors allege was used to dismember Mamta’s body.
Mamta’s body has not been found. Naresh has remained in custody since his August 2024 arrest and faces charges of first-degree murder, concealing a dead body and defiling a dead body.
The Source: Information in this article comes from The Associated Press and FOX 5 DC reporting.