VA VA - Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, mom & pediatric nurse, 'involuntary missing,' husband reported her missing Aug 5, Manassas Park, 31 July 2024 *Arrest*

[LifeIsAMystery]

Motion hearing began at 9 and is another attempt by his attorney to have Bhatt released. Assume there will be media coverage once it ends.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1829126542577803724

 

[PommyMommy]

It was a packed courtroom. You can see crowds still outside.The defense filed a motion for Naresh Bhatt to waive his right to a preliminary hearing.The prosecutors did not object.Motion was granted.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1829147556456390819

 

[PommyMommy]

#Update in case of Mamta Kafle Bhatt

The Judge accepted the defense motion for Mamta’s husband, Naresh Bhatt to waive his right to a preliminary hearing.

Her husband Naresh was charged with concealing a dead body.

The Case is expected to go to a grand jury. @DCNewsNow

https://twitter.com/x/status/1829150566175617491

 

[PommyMommy]

AUG 29, 2024

Court grants husband's motion to waive preliminary hearing in missing wife's case

Mamta, 28, has been missing since last month, and authorities said she is presumed dead.

www.nbc24.com

Outside the Prince William County Judicial Center, loved ones and supporters gathered in solidarity. ...

Community member Holly Wirth called Thursday's motion by Naresh's attorney "gymnastics."

"They want to get him tried on this charge as soon as possible and I know in my heart there’s more charges to come. So we can’t consider this a setback," Wirth told WJLA

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[mlhenn]

Grand jury will hear case of Manassas Park man facing charges in connection with missing wife - WTOP News

A Manassas, Virginia, judge on Thursday agreed to a motion by Naresh Bhatt’s defense attorney to waive his preliminary hearing, sending the felony charge of concealing a dead body directly to a grand jury.

wtop.com

A judged agreed to a motion by Naresh Bhatt’s defense attorney to waive his preliminary hearing, sending the felony charge of concealing a dead body directly to a grand jury.

The case is scheduled to go before the Prince William grand jury on Oct. 7, with “term” day following on Oct. 8, according to court records. Term day is when prosecutors and defense will agree in a hearing on a trial date, the circuit court clerk’s office said.

Bhatt’s lawyer, Senior Assistant Public Defender Shalev Ben-Avraham, has said he wants the trial date expedited.

“Mr. Bhatt’s defense attorney has said on the record that he feels like the evidence is fairly weak, so we know the faster they can bring that to trial, the more likelihood the commonwealth won’t be able to strengthen their case is their assertation,” Holly Wirth, a former coworker of Mamta Bhatt at Inova Health System, said at a news conference after the hearing.

 

[mlhenn]

https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/29/us/mamta-kafle-bhatt-virginia-husband-case-explained/index.html

Investigators found what appeared to be blood pooling and blood splatter in the home’s main bedroom; the bed appeared to have been moved, blocking a closet; light pink stains were found on bedroom carpeting after the bed was removed; and pools of blood were found in the bathroom “as if something was dragged across the floor,” along with blood pooling on the shower floor, WJLA reported from Friday’s arraignment.

When investigators removed the bathtub, they saw what they believed to be blood in the caulking, WJLA reported.

It’s still unclear to whom the blood found in the couple’s home belongs.

A number of the cleaning supplies Bhatt purchased were also found in the home, which appeared to be in disarray, according to law enforcement details revealed at the arraignment, WJLA said.

Additionally, Bhatt sold his Tesla on August 19, and the house appeared to be packed up with a suitcase ready, items missing from hangers and passports available, WJLA reported.

 

[Seattle1]

I think that just may be a badly worded sentence by a reporter who doesn't fully understand the situation.

Regardless of citizenship, the courts will have to determine who is awarded custody, just like in any child custody situation. The situation could get complicated if Naresh's family contests the claim. It could take some time to resolve, and while the matter is in front of the courts, the child will likely have to stay in the U.S.

But once Mamta's family is awarded full custody (as they should be) then they should have every right to return to Nepal with the baby.

I disagree it will be one, easy-peasy fall of the gavel as OP cites.

First, the child will be appointed a GAL to protect the interest of the child while other interested parties including the father file petitions with the Court.

Second, the father, a US Citizen who's not (yet) been convicted still has rights regarding his child.

Permanent guardianship is typically not decided until after the trial of the surviving parent, provided the parent opposes the petition by the maternal grandparents.

Generally, the court also imposes a geographic restriction that requires the temporary guardian to live within a limited geographic area, so that the surviving parent can have continuing contact/ visitation.

For reference, I'm recalling a similar case where a wife/mother (Maya Millete) disappeared January 2021 and is assumed deceased at the hands of the incarcerated husband/father.

Here, two families petitioned the Court for Guardianship of the minor children, and 3.5 years later, the case was just decided a few weeks ago. The children had been temporarily residing with their paternal grandparents, and the Court just ruled to grant the maternal Aunt custody of the couples minor children. The father's trial has been pushed out to Spring 2025.

Still Missing - CA - Maya Millete, 39, missed daughter's birthday, Chula Vista, 7 Jan 2021 *husband arrested* #5

I hope the kids can adjust and eventually have a happy, healthy life. The fact that the aunt is very open to allow them to go to therapy is great for them.

www.websleuths.com

 

[ch_13]

I disagree it will be one, easy-peasy fall of the gavel as OP cites.

I'm not sure if you meant me when you wrote "OP". But I certainly never meant to suggest that this would be an easy decision for the courts. On the contrary, I said it would take some time to resolve.

I was simply pointing out that the reason that the reason the baby will remain in the U.S. is due to the complicated child custody issues and not because "they can't be allowed to take a US citizen away from the US of A" as was written in the post I quoted.

 

[PommyMommy]

Moved to Circuit Court

Prince William Circuit Court
Case #: CR24002302-00
Defendant: BHATT, NARESH DATT

Hearing Information

Date	Time	Result	Type	Courtroom	Plea	Duration	Jury
10/08/2024	10:00 AM		TERM	4
10/07/2024	08:45 AM		GRAND JURY	2

Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System

 

[PommyMommy]

AUG 29, 2024

Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s mother, brother in US; husband’s defense waives right to preliminary hearing

Naresh Bhatt’s defense team waived the right to a preliminary hearing Thursday at a Prince William County courthouse, as supporters of his missing and presumed dead wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, gathered outside.

www.fox5dc.com

[...]

Brian Boyd has worked in federal law enforcement for more than 30 years, primarily specializing in intelligence analysis. Boyd trained with the D.C. police homicide unit while studying forensics and pathology for his Master’s degree. He said the car could eventually become an important piece of evidence.

[...]

"What they have to find is the direct linkage between him, her, the automobile. The real forensic evidence is not only what is inside of that house, what they would show that evidence there. If there’s blood, they’re going to look for two blood samples - his and hers. The other is any evidence of the body being moved from the house from either vehicle," he explained. "If he sold the car, that means he still can’t hide the evidence. There are thousands of cases where a car has been sold or left in the junkyard for 15, 20 years, then they’ll pull up the seat and find blood evidence underneath the cushion. You can’t hide blood evidence. It’s there somewhere. It can be in the arm, some crevice."

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

AUG 30, 2024

Manassas court grants husband's motion to waive preliminary hearing in Mamta Kafle's case

Naresh Bhatt is scheduled to return to court Thursday morning, facing accusations related to the disappearance of Mamta Kafle.

wjla.com

[...]

In new court documents 7News acquired on Thursday afternoon, three evidence pictures show what appears to be blood stains on what appears to be the carpet of a room.

[...]

The preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 24 has been canceled after the motion was granted. In that hearing, prosecutors would have been asked to establish probable cause that a felony was committed by Bhatt.

The case will now proceed to the circuit court. A grand jury would determine whether there’s probable cause to believe the person accused committed the crimes charged and should stand trial.

The defense said they plan to file paperwork to waive his right to a grand jury indictment, which allows the case to head to trial.

[...]

 

[acutename]

was he planning on receiving insurance money? or just a jealous rage at her leaving?

 

[ErinC]

was he planning on receiving insurance money? or just a jealous rage at her leaving?

The thing with guys like this, they don't see their family members as people. They see them as possessions. So if a family member dares do anything like express dissatisfaction, want to leave, etc. they treat it like we would treat a malfunctioning refrigerator and...dispose of it. If whatever preceded this incident had never happened, it would have been something else. The possession no longer behaves in the fashion they are wanting, so whoops, time to get rid of it and get a new one. (See also: Scott Peterson.) MOO, IMO, etc etc etc

 

[MassGuy]

was he planning on receiving insurance money? or just a jealous rage at her leaving?

You really need a body for that, so I think it’s closer to the latter. This appears to have been incredibly sloppy and messy, which I think points to something more spontaneous.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

You really need a body for that, so I think it’s closer to the latter. This appears to have been incredibly sloppy and messy, which I think points to something more spontaneous.

But the computer searches re: dead spouse were way back in April?

 

[acutename]

But the computer searches re: dead spouse were way back in April?

the quoted computer searches were about debts:

Husband of missing Virginia mom Mamta Kafle Bhatt 'searched "what happen to debt died spouse" before she disappeared' Chilling internet searches of husband accused in wife's disappearance pic.twitter.com/as5PK0Thwy
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) August 28, 2024

which made me think there was some financial element here, but MKB was working and now the other report says there were tenants,

Chief tells me the basement is being rented out. He doesn’t know how many people live there. Neighbors tell me it’s a family of 5, with four adults and one child. @7NewsDC
— Rebecca Turco (@RebeccaTurcoTV) August 27, 2024

so it made me think there was some financial problem but killing MBK sure did not increase his income.

 

[LadyL]

But the computer searches re: dead spouse were way back in April?

he's probably been thinking about it for a long time but when he acted, it was spontaneous and not according to plan because he let his anger overcome him - just speculation

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

he's probably been thinking about it for a long time but when he acted, it was spontaneous and not according to plan because he let his anger overcome him - just speculation

Perhaps. If he married again to someone in Nepal would he get the $ of a dowry? The house and car were listed as being several thousand per month, doubt a basement rental and PT nurse salary covered it. He seemed unable to hold a job long term since leaving the Army. MOOO.

 

[MassGuy]

But the computer searches re: dead spouse were way back in April?

Yes, but just because he had murder on your mind beforehand (those searches clearly indicate that), doesn't necessarily mean that he planned to do it when he did. I'm totally open to this having been premeditated, but I think it's less likely than the alternative.

The whole thing appears to me as if he was winging it. BADLY.