A Prince William County Grand Jury returned an indictment of First Degree Murder and Physically Defiling the body of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, against her husband and Manassas Park resident Naresh Bhatt.
In a Dec. 2 press conference, Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo said, “I feel we have a strong case despite not having a body,” His department has been working closely with prosecutors to develop the case despite Bhatt not cooperating. “Based on the evidence at the crime scene, we knew early on we were dealing with a murder,” Lugo added, “all the evidence points to one person, and that is [Bhatt].”
Bhatt’s body has never been found.
Bhatt, who at the time of his arrest on August 22, 2024, was a contractor with the U.S. Secret Service, has been held without bond since his arrest. During his arraignment on charges of concealing a dead body in August, Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Sarah Sami presented online search history from Bhatt’s Federal Government computer provided by the U.S. Secret Service, where he searched for such phrases as “what happens when wife dead,” and “how long does it take to get married after spouse dies” in the months before her disappearance.
Bhatt is scheduled for a two-week trial beginning December 9, 2024. Still, Prince William County Commonwealth Amy Ashworth said she expects the “cases will be combined and will not likely be scheduled for trial until the fall of 2025.” Bhatt’s December 3 court date, when officials read the charges to the defendant, had to be postponed because no interpreters were available.
Bhatt had been arrested after his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, was reported missing on August 1, 2024, by co-workers after she missed her overnight shift as a nurse at the UVA Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas. He was initially only charged with concealing a dead body.
Holly Worth, one of Kafle Bhatt’s co-workers, expressed gratitude for the work officials have done to bring Bhatt to justice, “I am pleased that he is being charged [in Kafle Bhatt’s] murder. I want to offer my appreciation for the tireless work that has led to the grand jury indictment.”
Court records show that the Grand Jury charge sheet lists the murder offense date as one day before the offense date for concealing a body, which was the original charge at his arrest. Prosecutors now allege the murder took place on July 29 while the crime of concealing a body occurred on July 30. The new developments show the prosecution has a stronger idea of what transpired between July 27, the day she was last seen, and August 1, the day her co-workers reported her missing.
The date of the offense is essential in the case as co-workers last saw her on July 27, and she posted content to social media late in the afternoon on July 28. Friends say calls and texts to her cell phone went unanswered after that post. Captain Steve Loving of Manassas Park Police said, “We believe we have a strong timeline of what happened in this case,” when asked about the different offense dates.
Several pieces of legislation are in the works in the Virginia General Assembly to address domestic violence in the Commonwealth. Delegate Ian Lovejoy (R-22, Bristow) is proposing a bill to create a domestic violence registry that requires those convicted of domestic violence to be listed in a searchable database available to the public.
If you think you are a victim of domestic violence, there is help available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is staffed 24 hours daily and supports more than 200 languages. Its toll-free number is 800-799-7233.
If you are in immediate need of assistance, please call 911.
Kafle Bhatt Investigation Timeline — Days Missing
– July 27
Last seen by co-workers.
Day -1
– July 28
Last social media post at 5:28 PM. Calls and texts go unanswered after this.
Day 0
– August 1
Fails to report to her shift as a nurse at Prince William UVA Hospital.
Day +4
– August 2
Manassas Park Police Department (MPPD) conducts a welfare check after reports from co-workers but does not speak directly with Kafle Bhatt. Her information is entered into a statewide database.
Day +5
– August 2–5
No apparent action by MPPD.
Days +6–8
– August 5
Bhatt is officially reported missing to MPPD.
Day +8
– August 5–8
Police later claim they were investigating, but no explanation is given for why an alert was not issued to the public.
Days +8–11
– August 8
At 2:52 PM, MPPD alerts the public that Kafle Bhatt is missing and requests tips, despite having opened an official investigation three days earlier.
Day +11
– August 21
Bhatt’s husband is named a person of interest. Crime scene investigators search his home.
Day +24
– August 22
Bhatt’s husband is seen being led away in handcuffs from his home. Their toddler is taken into custody by social services.
Day +25
