US: Indian-Origin Man Charged With Killing Wife After Googling ‘How To Remarry...’

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Naresh Bhatt, a man from Virginia allegedly Googled "how long does it take to get married after spouse die has been formally charged with killing his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, officials confirmed Monday. This happened more than four months after she disappeared in a mysterious way, officials confirmed on Monday.

Bhatt, 37, was formally indicted by a Prince William County grand jury on charges of murder and messing with a dead body. These charges come after a lengthy investigation into the disappearance of Mamta Bhatt, 28. Her body has not been found, but DNA matching hers was discovered in extensive blood evidence at the couple's home. Naresh Bhatt is behind bars for concealing the body.

He has also been charged with dismembering his wife's body, which results in another offense of desecration of a corpse. Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo said that investigators found bloodstains and evidence of traces that suggest Mamta Bhatt was killed inside the home in Manassas Park, Virginia.

According to prosecutors, three months before his 28-year-old wife disappeared, Naresh searched for "How long does it take to get married after spouse die" and "What happens to debt died spouse," as reported by the New York Post.

The blood found in the couple's main bedroom and bathroom later proved to be that of Mamta Bhatt through DNA testing. This was an indication that she must have been murdered on July 29, 2024. Mamta Bhatt is a pediatric nurse. She was last seen on July 27, working at the UVA Health Prince William Medical Center. Scores of people sought her, and her Nepalese community in Northern Virginia and elsewhere sent warm messages of goodwill during the intervening period.

Even though there is no body, investigators believe they have a strong case against Naresh Bhatt. They point to blood evidence and video footage that shows him throwing away trash bags in the days after his wife's disappearance.

We have a very good case, Chief Lugo said. "This DNA result proves what we thought from the beginning: Mamta was murdered. Mamta Bhatt’s family worked hard to get answers. They held community events and pushed officials for a solution. They felt different emotions when they heard the charges.

"We’re not here happy," said Holly Wirth, a former coworker of Mamta’s, to reporters outside the courthouse. “There’s no amount of jail time that’s going to bring back what they really want, which is their daughter.”

The investigation has already drawn attention not only in Nepal but other places, especially within the Nepalese community.

Naresh Bhatt, who was a police recruit in Fairfax County and is also in the U.S. Army Reserve, originally told investigators other things. He said he last saw his wife July 31, but after workers for Mamta Bhatt asked authorities to check on her, things began to look fishy.

Police later found some blood evidence and even surveillance footage that strongly implicated Naresh Bhatt in the crime.

The charge of harming a body comes from evidence that Bhatt may have cut up his wife's remains. Even though the body has not been found, police have mentioned new investigation methods, like DNA tests, cellphone tracking, and security camera videos, which have made it easier to prosecute cases of murder without a body.

Tad DiBiase, a former federal prosecutor well familiar with such cases, believes that as high as 87 percent of murder case convictions are possible without finding a body.

Naresh Bhatt's court hearing has been postponed multiple times as there was no interpreter for him. He is likely to face more charges and will go to court on Wednesday. Already established: The daughter of Mamta Bhatt is now with her mother's parents, whom she met once again in Nepal.

Again this situation suggests how critical community efforts and measures taken are for finding justice for the missing nurse and mother. The new charges brought a slight closure to Mamta Bhatt's family and friends, but they still suffer with the psychological agony of the incident.

Mamta Bhatt's fellow worker, Holly Wirth, said, "We are not here to be merry. No jail term will fill up the gap they wish was there, which is the girl."