Trial opens for Naresh Bhatt, Virginia man accused of killing, dismembering missing wife

MANASSAS, Va. - The trial of a 39-year-old Manassas man accused of murdering and dismembering his wife is set to begin Monday morning in Prince William County, more than two years after her disappearance.

Jury selection begins at 10 a.m. for Naresh Bhatt, who has remained in custody since his August 2024 arrest. He faces charges of murder, as well as concealing and defiling a dead body, in the death of then 28-year-old Mamta Kafle Bhatt.

RELATED: Judge limits abuse claims in Mamta Kafle Bhatt murder trial

The case began Aug. 1, 2024, when Mamta Bhatt failed to report for her shift as a pediatric nurse at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center. Police conducted a welfare check at the couple's Heather Court home the following day at the request of her co-workers.

At the time, Naresh Bhatt told officers he did not believe his wife was missing, stating she had occasionally left for a day or two in the past. However, family members and friends insisted she would never abandon her infant daughter. Community members held searches and vigils in the days following her disappearance, including one rally where Naresh Bhatt appeared with the couple's daughter.

RELATED: New forensic evidence emerges in Mamta Kafle Bhatt case

Police officially declared Mamta Bhatt involuntarily missing on Aug. 5, 2024.

Investigators arrested Naresh Bhatt on Aug. 22, 2024, after discovering large bloodstains in the primary bedroom and bathroom of the couple's home. Court documents show investigators seized a power saw from the residence containing hair and hair fragments, and evidence indicates Naresh Bhatt visited multiple trash disposal sites.

Mamta Bhatt's body has never been recovered.

RELATED: Community remembers Mamta Kafle Bhatt 2 years later

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