Evidence of pooling blood and missing knives were among the chilling details presented in court Friday as the husband of a missing Northern Virginia mother faced a charge of concealing a dead body.
The new information is devastating for those who were hoping to find 28-year-old Mamta Kafle Bhatt alive nearly a month after she was last seen by anybody except 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 Friday. He was arrested at the family’s Manassas Park home Thursday and charged with concealment of a dead body, a felony charge. The charge means police have evidence that a dead body was concealed. However, Mamta Bhatt's body has not been found.
Evidence of blood and missing knives presented at husband's court appearance
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Prosecutors said there is evidence of pooling blood in the primary bedroom of the home, then blood and blood splatter in the primary bathroom. They said investigators found indications that a body was dragged. News4 video shows investigators carrying what appears to be large swaths of rolled-up carpet into a Prince William County police van.
While laying out its case, the prosecution said Naresh Bhatt changed his story numerous times about when he last saw his wife.
Her cellphone was still active on Aug. 1, the day after Naresh Bhatt told police he last saw his wife. The phone last pinged in Loudoun County, where police say they have video showing Naresh Bhatt at a Walmart purchasing cleaning supplies.
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’s evidence that Naresh Bhatt was in the process of packing up his home and selling his car. Passports for Bhatt and his daughter were in full view when police entered the home for a search.
Naresh Bhatt appeared in court wearing an orange jumpsuit. He had nothing to say to the judge and used an interpreter to help him understand the proceedings.
The defense attorney argued that he should be released, saying Bhatt hadn’t fled and that anyone could buy cleaning supplies. The attorney said that there’s no evidence the blood found in the home is Mamta’s or that she had been killed.
The judge declined to talk about a bond but said the suspect would be held until there could be a bail review.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a nurse, was reported missing after failing to show up for her shifts at work. Friends said that was highly unusual since she was caring for her baby and often active on social media.
Her friends filled the small courtroom and listened as prosecutors laid out the evidence supporting the charge. Outside the courthouse, Holly Wirth, a spokesperson for the friends and family, told reporters that they weren't 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. She spoke as frankly as she could. But the details are absolutely shocking," Wirth said.
Naresh Bhatt was held without bond in initial court proceedings Thursday. It wasn't immediately clear if he has a lawyer.
Not long after the arrest, a police officer carried the couple’s daughter from the home. The girl is in the care of the Department of Social Services, authorities said, but Mamta Kafle Bhatt's mother has been granted an emergency visa to come care for the girl. Friends and family are raising funds for a plane ticket.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt disappearance investigation continues
The Manassas Park Police Department said it's still investigating Mamta Kafle Bhatt's disappearance and additional charges against Naresh Bhatt are possible.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth briefly spoke with reporters outside the family’s home on Thursday afternoon.
“Is she alive?” News4 asked.
“We don’t know! We don’t know! But we are working this investigation. We’re working carefully, and there’s just a lot of things moving very quickly right now," Ashworth said.
At a candlelight vigil outside her Manassas Park home on Thursday night, friends focused on the Bhatts' baby daughter, who turned 1 earlier this week.
Bhatt was originally from Nepal, and her supporters from the Nepalese community listened to a recording of what’s known as the peace mantra — chanted 108 times to align Bhatt’s spirit with eternity.
"I'm glad that the baby was away from him because obviously I always thought he did something," neighbor Ivy Freeman said. "Because a mother wouldn't leave her baby. Definitely wouldn't miss her baby's first birthday."
Friends have started a fundraising effort to keep the baby out of foster care by bringing Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s mother from Nepal to care for the child.
“I’m pleased to share that we’ve set up a GoFundMe,” friend Holly Wirth said. “It’s called Justice for Mamta. We are collecting funds that will be put in a dedicated trust account to care for her daughter.”
The community has planned an event Saturday at Signal Hill Park to remember Mamta Kafle Bhatt.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt missing for nearly a month
Mamta Kafle Bhatt was last seen at her job as a pediatric nurse at the UVA Prince William Medical Center on July 27, according to a police timeline. No one except her husband has reported seeing her since then. She spoke to a friend on July 28, police previously said.
Prosecutors now believe she was killed by her husband on July 30 and that he began covering his tracks July 31.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt's husband told police that he last saw her on July 31.
Her coworkers requested a welfare check on Aug. 2, after she failed to show up for work. Officers went to the home and spoke to her husband, who at that time gave them additional information and said he didn't want to report her as missing.
Three days later, he contacted police and reported her missing.
Her disappearance was not declared involuntary until Aug. 8.
The pace of the investigation has frustrated Mamta Kafle Bhatt's community at times. Wirth, the family's spokesperson, said she lost faith in the Manassas Park police at one point but regained confidence after speaking to the chief. The chief changed her mind by explaining there were details they couldn't share with anyone to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Manassas Park police say the missing woman's credit cards, bank statements and phone have showed no activity since her disappearance.
As her daughter turned 1 year old this week, her friends saw a time to try to renew interest in her disappearance. Some met with the police chief on Monday and said their friend's disappearance was unlike her.
During a search of the couple's home Wednesday, “detectives obtained additional evidence,” the statement from prosecutors and police on Thursday said, without detailing what they found or what it suggested.
The next day, Naresh Bhatt was walked out of their home in handcuffs. Not long after, a police officer carried the couple’s daughter from the home.
Friends say they also will start an effort to empower those suffering domestic violence.
“Better that you live happily than you die like this one day,” friend Bina Khatkalama said. “You know … we do not want anymore Mamta.”
