Naresh Bhatt, 37, of Prince William County has been charged with the murder of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, authorities announced on Monday. Naresh Bhatt faces charges for murder and defiling a dead body, The Associated Press reports.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, was a pediatric nurse and a mother to a 1-year-old baby. She went missing in late July, and, though her body has not yet been discovered, investigators found a significant amount of blood in her Manassas Park home that led them to believe she had been killed.
“From the beginning, we believed that she was murdered,” Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo told reporters on Monday. Investigators were able to match Kafle Bhatt’s DNA to the blood found in the bedroom and bathroom of the couple’s home, which allowed these new charges to be brought against Bhatt.
Lugo said that evidence suggests Bhatt dismembered his wife, leading to the charge of defiling a body.
Bhatt was arrested in August for concealing a body after officers conducted a search of their home. He remains in custody without bond.
Investigators will continue to search for Kafle Bhatt’s body, but the investigation can continue even without discovering remains. Lugo said on Monday that he feels “we have a strong case.”
Holly Wirth, a spokesperson for Kafta Bhatt’s family, said the family’s priorities have been “finding Justice for Mamta and securing a future for her baby.”
Feature image of Mamta Kafle Bhatt courtesy Manassas Park Police
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