An Indian-origin man has been convicted of murdering his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, in Virginia, more than two years after the 28-year-old nurse disappeared and her body was never recovered.A jury found Naresh Bhatt, 39, guilty of first-degree murder on Tuesday. He was also convicted of concealing and defiling his wife’s body following a six-week trial, CNN reportedDuring his testimony, Bhatt admitted that he had dismembered his wife’s body and disposed of her remains but denied killing her. He told the court that he found Mamta unconscious in their bedroom, surrounded by blood and vomit, and panicked when his attempts to revive her failed.Bhatt said he did not call emergency services and instead decided to dispose of her body. He initially considered throwing her remains into the Potomac River before attempting to put them in a rubbish bin. When they did not fit, he said he cut the body into pieces, placed the remains in several rubbish bags and disposed of them in a trash compactor at an apartment complex where he had previously lived.He also acknowledged taking the couple’s then-11-month-old daughter with him on some of those trips.“I don’t know why I did not,” Bhatt told the court when asked why he had not called 911. “I tried to call. I was really scared. I don’t know why, something take over me. I was really, really panicked.”His testimony differed from his earlier public statements, in which he had denied knowing what happened to his wife. He had previously told police that he last saw her at the dinner table several days before reporting her missing.Mamta was last seen on July 27, 2024, at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas, where she worked as a registered nurse, according to police and the hospital. A friend spoke to her by phone the following day, and she also posted a TikTok video featuring herself and her infant daughter, CNN affiliate WJLA reported.Her disappearance prompted an extensive search, with relatives raising concerns about her whereabouts. The family’s worries were heightened by the fact that her daughter’s first birthday was approaching.Following the verdict, Amy Ashworth, the commonwealth’s attorney for Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, said the decision marked an important step towards justice for the family.“This verdict represents an important measure of justice for Mamta Kafle Bhatt, whose life was tragically taken and whose family has endured more than two years of unimaginable pain and uncertainty,” Ashworth said in a statement as cited by the outlet.She added that she hoped the verdict would help the family move forward, knowing that Mamta’s life mattered and that the person responsible had been held accountable.Bhatt faces a possible life sentence for first-degree murder, along with an additional five years for each of the two charges involving the handling of his wife’s body. His sentencing is scheduled for March 12.
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