Manassas Man on Trial for Wife's Murder Despite No Body Found

Prosecutors in Virginia are building a circumstantial case against Naresh Bhatt, 39, accused of killing and dismembering his wife Mamta Bhatt, 28, whose body was never recovered.

Unusual Water Usage and Reciprocating Saw Central to Virginia Murder Trial

Courthouse News Service reports that on July 31, 2024, the Manassas, Virginia, home of Naresh Bhatt consumed 160 gallons of water within two hours — a figure prosecutors presented Monday as evidence that Bhatt murdered his wife, dismembered her body, and cleaned up the scene.

Now in its fourth week, the trial in Prince William County Circuit Court centers on charges of murder, defiling a body, and concealing a body. Bhatt, 39, has pleaded not guilty. His wife, Mamta Bhatt, 28, was last seen during a video call on July 29, 2024 — weeks before their daughter's first birthday. Her body has never been found.

Wayne Martin, a public works official in Manassas Park, showed jurors a printout of the household's water consumption records. Hourly usage typically ranged between two and 30 gallons. On July 31, however, the home used 48 gallons between 11 a.m. and noon, then 111 gallons from noon to 1 p.m. — before returning to normal levels the following hour.

"That much water would be equivalent to having a faucet open all the way or a severe plumbing issue," Martin testified, adding that he did not suspect a plumbing fault given how quickly usage normalized.

Prosecutors also introduced a reciprocating saw that Naresh Bhatt purchased at a Home Depot. Mark Matthew Hernandez of Home Depot's corporate security confirmed the purchase and, when asked whether such a saw could be used to dismember a human body, said he believed so. After Mamta Bhatt disappeared, Naresh Bhatt gave the saw to a landscaper, who subsequently turned it over to police.

Andrea Feldman, a George Mason University professor and former crime scene investigator for the Manassas Police, testified that when she opened the saw she found reddish-brown stains and what appeared to be hair-like strands. She said she believed the stains were blood. At that moment, jurors stood and leaned forward to get a closer look.

Feldman had previously described finding specks of blood on a window in the couple's bathroom. Officers then applied a chemical capable of detecting blood even after it has been cleaned up, and identified a suspected bloodstain at the same location. Prosecutors also presented security camera footage from a nearby apartment complex showing Naresh Bhatt disposing of trash bags around the time of his wife's disappearance.

A separate witness examined internet search queries attributed to Naresh Bhatt, a government contractor, from April 2024 — approximately three months before his wife vanished. Daniel Moore of the White House Military Office Information Technology testified that the searches included: "How long does it take to get married after spouse dies," "How long does it take to get married after spouse dead," and "happy new year message to girlfriend."

Under cross-examination, Moore acknowledged he could not definitively confirm who typed the queries, as he was not present when the searches were made.

Prosecutors have characterized Naresh Bhatt as an abusive husband who provided inconsistent accounts of his wife's disappearance. Circuit Court Judge Kimberly Irving is presiding over the trial.

Source: Courthouse News Service