Jury convicts Naresh Bhatt of murdering his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt

Mamta Kafle Bhatt was 28, a nurse and a new mother in Manassas Park, Va., when she disappeared in July 2024 (NBC News; Patch). On Nov. 10, 2026, a Prince William County jury found her husband, Naresh Bhatt, guilty of murdering her (WJLA; Prince William Times).

Jurors convicted him of first-degree murder, concealing a dead body and defiling a dead body after deliberating for about four hours. Her body has never been found (WJLA; CNN).

What he told the jury

Bhatt testified that he found his wife dead and that she died by suicide. He testified that he then dismembered her body and disposed of it, and he denied killing her (NBC4; WTOP). By convicting him of first-degree murder, the jury rejected his account that she took her own life (CNN).

On cross-examination, he agreed when prosecutor Matthew Sweet called him a liar, and he admitted lying to police, to her family and to reporters (WTOP; Patch).

What prosecutors told the jury

In her closing argument, prosecutor Sarah Sami told jurors, “He had to admit what he could not deny and deny what he could not admit” (WJLA). She also told them, “He was the only one with motive, opportunity and intent” (Prince William Times).

Earlier in the trial, Mamta's brother testified that she had told him, “I am not safe” (WTOP).

What the defense told the jury

Chief Public Defender Tracey Lenox told jurors, “The commonwealth has not ruled out suicide as the reason for the physical evidence they showed you” (Prince William Times). His lawyer declined to comment after the verdict until the case is over (CNN).

Bench Watch BreakdownMurder without a bodyShow or hide the explanation

What it means

Prosecutors can charge murder even if a body is never found. They then have to use other evidence to prove both that the person is dead and that the defendant killed them.

In this case

Mamta Kafle Bhatt's body has never been found. Prosecutors relied on blood and DNA, store records and video, and his phone searches. The jury found that the evidence proved both things.

Why it matters

Without a body, a case rests on many small pieces. This jury decided they added up.

No-body murder trials in Virginia, from WHRO

Her family and friends

Mamta's mother hugged friends after the verdict was read (WJLA). Holly Wirth, a close friend and former colleague, said outside court, “The truth has come out” (CNN). She ended her comments with a message she said she hoped Bhatt would hear in his jail cell: “Whatever lies you told, you didn't erase Mamta” (Prince William Times).

Bina Khadkalama, who spoke to 7News outside the courtroom, said: “I rather have Mamta back. Regardless of what happened today, there's no fulfillment” (WJLA).

Commonwealth's Attorney Amy Ashworth said in a statement, “This case was a powerful reminder that the absence of a victim's body does not mean the absence of justice” (FOX 5; Prince William Times).

What happens next

Judge Kimberly A. Irving will sentence Bhatt on all three convictions on March 12, 2027 (FOX 5; Prince William Times). He faces 20 years to life in prison on the murder count (WJLA; Va. Code 18.2-10). Each of the other two counts carries up to five years in prison (Va. Code 18.2-10; 18.2-126; 18.2-323.02).

Bench Watch BreakdownFirst-degree murder in VirginiaShow or hide the explanation

What it means

In Virginia, first-degree murder is a willful, deliberate and premeditated killing. It is a Class 2 felony (Va. Code 18.2-32). The sentence can be anywhere from 20 years to life in prison (Va. Code 18.2-10).

In this case

The jury convicted Bhatt of first-degree murder on Nov. 10, 2026. The judge will sentence him on March 12, 2027.

Why it matters

The first-degree verdict means the judge must sentence within a range of 20 years to life.

Va. Code 18.2-32

Watch the trial

Bench Watch followed this trial from the court record. Our films label every clip by its source, whether that's the prosecution, the defense, his testimony, a witness or the court record. Part 1 is the prosecution's case. Part 2 is the defense's case.

▶WatchNaresh Bhatt Full Trial, Part 1: The Prosecution's CasePlays from YouTube, which has its own privacy policy.

▶WatchNaresh Bhatt Full Trial, Part 2: The Defense's CasePlays from YouTube, which has its own privacy policy.

▶WatchThe verdict, read in courtPlays from YouTube, which has its own privacy policy.

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