Man convicted of murder after admitting he dismembered his wife; still says he didn't kill her
A jury found Virginia man Naresh Bhatt guilty of first-degree murder Tuesday, rejecting his claim on the stand that his wife died by suicide.
In shocking testimony last week, Bhatt said he found her unconscious and when he couldn't revive her, he panicked and dismembered and disposed of her body. He denied killing his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, whose body has never been found.
Jurors also convicted Bhatt, 39, of two other charges — concealing and defiling his wife's body — bringing an end to a case that began with her sudden disappearance more than two years ago.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story includes graphic descriptions some readers may find disturbing.
Bhatt could be sentenced to up to life in prison for the first-degree murder charge, as well as an additional five years for each body manipulation charge. While the verdict was being read, Bhatt was expressionless and briefly talked to his attorney.
Kafle Bhatt's family was seen hugging after the verdict, with one family member thanking a prosecutor.
Bhatt is expected to be sentenced March 12 and the judge revoked his bond.
"This verdict represents an important measure of justice for Mamta Kafle Bhatt, whose life was tragically taken and whose family has endured more than two years of unimaginable pain and uncertainty," Amy Ashworth, the commonwealth's attorney for Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, said in a statement.
Ashworth said she hopes "today's verdict provides them with some measure of justice and allows them to begin moving forward knowing that Mamta's life mattered, her story was heard, and the person responsible has been held accountable."
Bhatt's attorney said they are unable to comment before the case concludes.
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Kafle Bhatt was last seen July 27, 2024, at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas, Virginia, according to police. The 28-year-old mother worked there as a registered nurse, the center previously told CNN.
The next day, a friend spoke with Kafle Bhatt on the phone, and she posted a video of herself and her infant daughter on TikTok, according to CNN affiliate WJLA.
When Kafle Bhatt disappeared, her husband denied knowing where she was, telling police and media in interviews he last saw her at their dinner table several days before he reported her missing.
Her family found the devoted mother's sudden disappearance to be deeply troubling as their daughter's first birthday was just weeks away. It prompted an expansive search.
Following Tuesday's verdict, Holly Wirth, a close friend and former colleague of Kafle Bhatt, thanked prosecutors and law enforcement for their work on the case. She especially thanked her close friends, saying the three of them "shouted that we knew something was wrong with Mamta, and when the police didn't listen, we shouted more."
"The truth has come out," she said outside court. "He killed her, he defiled her, he threw her away like trash. But let me tell you what I know: She is not trash. She wasn't trash then and she's not trash today, and we are going to do everything we can, Mamta, to make sure your daughter knows how much you are loved, and we are going to give her the best life ever."
Sunita Basnet, another close friend and colleague, called Tuesday "a big day" and said she was happy with the verdict, but stressed more work needs to be done in the community regarding domestic violence.
"Even with all these incidents, there are so many girls, our sisters, our daughters, and our even mother(s) — they are threatened to be killed like Mamta," she said, adding "every daughter, every wife, and every human needs to be protected and treated ... as a human."
Lengthy trial with surprise testimony
Jurors listened to six weeks of testimony, including from Kafle Bhatt's mother, Gita, and her brother Mahesh, who testified through an interpreter, according to WUSA. Basnet also testified in court, according to WJLA, and told reporters after the verdict she observed "all the red flags."
But the most stunning testimony was during Bhatt's second day on the stand, when he admitted dismembering his wife and disposing of her remains. But he said he did it because he panicked when he woke up in the middle of the night and found Kafle Bhatt unconscious, surrounded by vomit and blood in their bedroom.
Before that moment, he had publicly maintained he didn't know what happened to his wife.
Kafle Bhatt was lying on her back surrounded by vomit containing pills, blood and an open packet of Celphos, a highly toxic insecticide, close by. Bhatt testified he tried to resuscitate her for about an hour before carrying her into their bathroom, WUSA reported. But he said during his testimony he didn't know why he didn't call 911.
"I don't know why I did not," he said. "I tried to call. I was really scared. I don't know why, something take over me. I was really, really panicked. I don't know."
He then decided to conceal his wife's body, initially considering throwing her in the Potomac River before trying to throw her body in a trash can, he said on the stand. When she didn't fit, he said he began cutting her body into pieces.
He put Kafle Bhatt's mutilated body in multiple trash bags, he testified, adding he threw them into a trash compactor at an apartment complex where he used to live. He also admitted taking his then-11-month-old child on some of the trips.
