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Naresh Bhatt trial resumes Tuesday
The trial of Naresh Bhatt, the Manassas Park man accused of murdering and dismembering his 28-year-old wife, pediatric nurse Mamta Kafle Bhatt, continues Tuesday after prosecutors presented store surveillance footage and testimony from a former roommate to challenge the defendant's timeline.
MANASSAS, Va. - The trial of Naresh Bhatt, the Manassas Park man accused of murdering and dismembering his 28-year-old wife, pediatric nurse Mamta Kafle Bhatt, continues Tuesday after prosecutors presented store surveillance footage and testimony from a former roommate to challenge the defendant's timeline.
Jurors heard testimony from Nadia Navarro, who lived with Mamta in a Falls Church apartment from the fall of 2021 to early winter 2022. Navarro testified that Naresh Bhatt was seeking someone to share a room with his wife, who was arriving in the United States for the first time. He offered a discounted room rate in exchange for assisting his wife with her English and introducing her to the area. Navarro stated in court that she later learned Naresh Bhatt owned the property.
RELATED: Former roommate testifies as prosecution highlights alibi timeline in Naresh Bhatt murder trial
The testimony was accompanied by surveillance footage tracking Naresh Bhatt’s purchases and movements in the days surrounding his wife’s disappearance.
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.
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.