Naresh Bhatt’s trial date expected to be set in court Wednesday
Naresh Bhatt’s trial date expected to be set in court Wednesday
Naresh Bhatt, the husband of missing Manassas Park mom Mamta Kafle Bhatt, was back in court one day after being officially charged with her murder. Bhatt's trial was expected to be set Tuesday, but due to the unavailability of a Nepalese interpreter, the hearing has been continued until Wednesday.
MANASSAS, Va. - Naresh Bhatt, the husband of missing Manassas Park mom Mamta Kafle Bhatt, will learn of the date for his murder trial on Wednesday morning.
Bhatt's trial was expected to be set Tuesday but due to the unavailability of a Nepalese interpreter, the hearing was continued until Wednesday. Bhatt’s charges were upgraded Monday to include first degree murder and defiling a dead body, on top of the previous charge of concealing a dead body.
According to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the concealment of a dead body charge could potentially be consolidated with the new charges. Manassas Park police chief Mario Lugo said new evidence securing the upgraded charges included blood found in the Bhatt’s home, confirmed to be Mamta’s.
"I feel we have strong case for not having a body," Chief Lugo said.
READ MORE: Naresh Bhatt charged with murder of wife Mamta Kafle, missing since July: police
Mamta Kafle Bhatt has been missing since late July. Investigators said this week, they believe she was killed on or about July 29. Authorities have not disclosed how they believe she was killed, but photo evidence released in Naresh
Bhatt's court documents in August showed what appeared to be blood stains in the bedroom and bathroom of their Manassas Park home.
Investigators also reportedly obtained surveillance footage showing Bhatt purchasing cleaning products on July 31. Though a body has not been recovered as of this writing, retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer said it’s possible to seek a murder conviction.
"Circumstantial evidence, believe it or not, can be the strongest evidence. I always use the analogy, if you go to bed and your lawn is green. Next morning, you look out and you see white. It snowed. Something happened," Coffindaffer said. "To be very specific in this case, we know he purchased knives and they’re unaccounted for. We know there was blood, cleaning supplies, google searches. This is all going to lead up to this murder prosecution. I believe there’s going to be so much more."
READ MORE: What we know about Naresh Bhatt, Manassas Park man accused of killing his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt
Bina Khadkalama does not know Mamta Kafle Bhatt personally, but she and other supporters have been following the case since the summer when she was first reported missing.
"Yesterday when the chief said that…you know, defiling? I was like imagining the knife went through my body. So, I’m just imagining how she went through what happened to her soul and body," Khadkalama said.
Holly Wirth, who worked with Mamta, said they will continue to any updates in the case.
"We feel like yesterday was putting the pedal down on the engine, but then we realized it really is a slow journey to justice. I said to my husband yesterday, this is the beginning of the end but the end could be a long way down that road," Wirth said.
The hearing Wednesday is scheduled for 9 a.m.