Evidence of pools of blood and missing knives were among the chilling details presented in court Friday as the husband of a missing Northern Virginia mother faced charges of concealing a body.
The new information is devastating for those who had hoped to find 28-year-old Mamta Kafle Bhatt alive nearly a month after she was last seen by anyone other than her husband Naresh Bhatt. But investigators have not called off the search for the mother who missed her baby’s first birthday this week.
Naresh Bhatt was arraigned on Friday. He was arrested Thursday at the family’s Manassas Park home and charged with concealing a corpse, a felony. The charge means police have evidence that a body was hidden, not necessarily that a body was found.
Evidence of blood and missing knives was presented at the husband’s trial
Prosecutors said there was evidence of a pool of blood in the home’s master bedroom and blood and blood splatter in the master bathroom. They said investigators found evidence of a body being dragged. Video obtained by News4 shows investigators lugging what appear to be large strips of rolled-up carpet into a Prince William County police cruiser.
In presenting their case, the prosecution stated that Naresh Bhatt had changed his statement several times about when he last saw his wife.
Her cellphone was still active on Aug. 1, the day after Naresh Bhatt told police he had last seen his wife. The phone last beeped in Loudoun County, where police say they have video showing Naresh Bhatt purchasing cleaning supplies at a Walmart.
He also went to a Walmart in Prince William County and purchased a set of knives. Two of those knives are now missing, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said there was evidence that Naresh Bhatt was in the process of packing up his house and selling his car. Bhatt and his daughter’s passports were lying in plain sight when police entered the house for a search.
Naresh Bhatt appeared in the courtroom in an orange jumpsuit. He had nothing to say to the judge and asked an interpreter to help him understand the proceedings.
The defence argued that he should be released because Bhatt did not flee and anyone can buy cleaning supplies. The lawyer said there was no evidence that the blood found in the house was Mamta’s or that she had been killed.
The judge declined to comment on bail but said the suspect would be held until a bail review could be conducted.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a nurse, was reported missing after she failed to show up for her shifts at work. Friends said this was highly unusual as she was caring for her baby and was often active on social media.
Her friends filled the small courtroom and listened as prosecutors presented evidence for the charges. Outside the courthouse, Holly Wirth, a spokeswoman for the friends and family, told reporters they were not prepared to hear the horrific details.
“What we heard was worse than we could have ever imagined. I have to give credit to the Commonwealth attorneys. They spoke as openly as they could. But the details are absolutely shocking,” Wirth said.
Naresh Bhatt was held without bail in the first court hearing on Thursday. It was initially unclear whether he has a lawyer.
Shortly after the arrest, a police officer carried the couple’s daughter out of the house. The girl is in the care of the social welfare office, authorities said, but Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s mother has been granted an emergency visa to come home and care for the girl. Friends and family are raising money for a plane ticket.
On Thursday night, a Northern Virginia community gathered to mourn after the husband of a missing mother and nurse was arrested earlier in the day on charges of hiding a body. News4’s Jackie Bensen spoke with the woman’s friends.
Investigations into the disappearance of Mamta Kafle Bhatt continue
Manassas Park police said the disappearance of Mamta Kafle Bhatt remains under investigation and that additional charges against Naresh Bhatt are possible.
Prosecutor Amy Ashworth spoke briefly with reporters outside the family’s home on Thursday afternoon.
“Is she alive?” asked News4.
“We don’t know! We don’t know! But we are working on this investigation. We are working diligently, and a lot of things are moving very quickly right now,” Ashworth said.
At a candlelight vigil outside their Manassas Park home Thursday night, friends turned their attention to the Bhatts’ young daughter, who turned one earlier this week.
Bhatt was originally from Nepal and her supporters from the Nepali community listened to a recording of the so-called peace mantra, chanted 108 times to align Bhatt’s spirit with eternity.
“I’m glad the baby wasn’t with him, because of course I always thought he would have done something,” said neighbor Ivy Freeman. “Because a mother wouldn’t leave her baby alone. And she certainly wouldn’t miss her baby’s first birthday.”
Friends have started a fundraiser to get the baby out of foster care by bringing Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s mother from Nepal to care for the child.
“I’m happy to announce that we have set up a GoFundMe campaign,” said friend Holly Wirth. “It’s called ‘Justice for Mamta.’ We are raising money that will be put into a special trust account to provide for her daughter.”
The community has planned an event to commemorate Mamta Kafle Bhatt at Signal Hill Park on Saturday.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt missing for almost a month
According to a police histories, Mamta Kafle Bhatt was last seen on July 27 at her job as a pediatric nurse at UVA Prince William Medical Center. No one other than her husband has reported seeing her since then. On July 28, she spoke with a friend, police previously said.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s husband told police that he last saw her on July 31.
Her co-workers requested a welfare check on August 2 after she failed to show up for work. Officers went to her home and spoke with her husband, who gave them more information at that point and said he did not want to report her missing.
Three days later, he contacted the police and reported her missing.
It was not until August 8 that her disappearance was declared involuntary.
The pace of the investigation has frustrated Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s community at times. Wirth, the family spokeswoman, said she lost faith in the Manassas Park Police Department at one point, but regained it after speaking with the police chief. The police chief changed his mind, saying there were details they couldn’t share with anyone to protect the integrity of the investigation.
According to Manassas Park police, no activity has been detected on the missing woman’s credit cards, bank statements or phone since her disappearance.
As her daughter turned one this week, her friends saw an opportunity to reignite interest in her disappearance. Some met with the police chief on Monday and said their friend’s disappearance was not her own doing.
During a search of the couple’s home on Wednesday, “investigators obtained additional evidence,” prosecutors and police said in a statement Thursday, although it did not provide details about what they found or what they were pointing to.
The next day, Naresh Bhatt was led out of the house in handcuffs. Shortly afterwards, a police officer carried the couple’s daughter out of the house.
Friends say they will also launch an initiative to help victims of domestic violence.
“It’s better that you live happily than that you die like this one day,” said friend Bina Khatkalama. “You know… we don’t want Mamta anymore.”