Virginia Man Admits Dismembering Missing Wife's Body in Murder Trial

 Virginia Man Admits Dismembering Missing Wife’s Body After Claiming for Two Years He Knew Nothing About Her Disappearance

A Virginia man accused of murdering his wife has admitted in court that he dismembered her body and disposed of her remains after previously claiming for more than two years that he had no knowledge of her disappearance.

Naresh Bhatt, 39, made the shocking admission while testifying in his ongoing murder trial over the disappearance and alleged killing of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a 28-year-old registered nurse and mother.

However, Bhatt denied killing his wife, telling the jury that she died by suicide. He claimed he discovered her unconscious in their bedroom in July 2024, surrounded by blood and vomit, and panicked after attempting to revive her.

The testimony came nearly five weeks into the trial, where Bhatt faces charges including first-degree murder, concealing a dead body and defiling a dead body.

Husband Describes How He Disposed of Wife’s Remains

According to Bhatt's testimony, he discovered his wife's body early on July 30, 2024, after waking up to an unusual smell in their bedroom.

He claimed he tried to resuscitate her for approximately an hour but did not contact emergency services.

Instead, Bhatt admitted that he decided to conceal her body. He initially considered disposing of it in the Potomac River before attempting to place it inside a trash container.

When the body did not fit, he said he used a reciprocating saw to dismember her remains in the family's bathroom.

He subsequently placed the remains in multiple trash bags and transported them to a former apartment complex in Falls Church, Virginia, where he disposed of them using a trash compactor.

Bhatt also admitted disposing of his wife's clothing separately and acknowledged taking their 11-month-old daughter with him during some of the trips.

Mamta Kafle Bhatt Disappeared in July 2024

Mamta Kafle Bhatt was last seen on July 27, 2024, at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas, Virginia, where she worked as a registered nurse.

She reportedly spoke with a friend the following day and later shared a video featuring herself and her infant daughter on TikTok.

Her disappearance sparked a major search effort involving friends, relatives and members of the local Nepalese community, who organized vigils and public gatherings calling for her safe return.

Her mother, Gita, and brother, Mahesh, later travelled from Nepal to Virginia as the investigation continued.

Naresh Bhatt Faces Possible Life Sentence

Bhatt was arrested at his home in Manassas on August 22, 2024, approximately three weeks after his wife was reported missing.

He was initially charged with concealing a dead body before a grand jury indicted him on first-degree murder and additional charges in December 2024.

If convicted of first-degree murder, Bhatt could face life imprisonment.

During the trial, Judge Kimberly Irving also approved an instruction allowing jurors to consider second-degree murder if they determine that the requirements for a first-degree murder conviction have not been established.

Bhatt returned to the witness stand on Monday as the trial approached its conclusion. A verdict could come as early as this week, according to CNN affiliate WUSA.

The case has attracted widespread attention because of the circumstances surrounding Mamta's disappearance and the disturbing admissions made by her husband during the proceedings.

Sources: "CNN" (https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/02/us/naresh-bhatt-murder-charge), "WUSA9" (https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/naresh-bhatt-murder-trial/naresh-bhatt-murder-trial-mamta-kafle-bhatt-says-he-found-her-dead/65-1e47de3d-9243-4329-9a51-b0ccf6e29920), "WJLA" (https://wjla.com/news/local/naresh-bhatt-returns-stand-day-18-murder-trial-mamta-kafle-disappearance-prince-william-county).