2 weeks Ago
A grand jury in Virginia has handed up an indictment charging Naresh Bhatt, the Prince William County man whose wife went missing in July, with murder. Bhatt already faces a felony charge of concealment of a body, according to court records. Authorities previously said Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, a mother to a young daughter, was presumed dead.
No one has been able to locate the beloved Nepalese community member since July 27, when she was last seen at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas, where she worked as a registered nurse in the medical surgical unit. Naresh Bhatt was taken away in handcuffs on August 22 after authorities conducted a search at the couple’s home. In September, Naresh Bhatt was denied bail.
He was accused of killing his wife in their home, then dragging her body outside, according to a criminal complaint. Police first visited the couple’s home in Manassas on August 2 after Kafle Bhatt’s coworkers called for a wellness check August 1. Kafle Bhatt worked two days a week at the hospital and was expected to work on August 1 and 2.
Officials said they grew concerned after she did not show up to work or call. When police talked to Naresh Bhatt, he “provided additional information” and told investigators he did not want to report her as missing at the time, police said. Three days after the wellness check, Bhatt, a former Fairfax County police recruit and former US Army Reserve automated logistics specialist, reported her missing and told investigators he last saw his wife at the dinner table July 31.
CNN’s Alisha Ebrahimji and Emma Tucker contributed to this report..
