MANASSAS PARK, Va. (TCN) — A 37-year-old man is being held without bond amid a search for his missing wife, during which investigators reportedly found blood evidence, cleaning supplies, and bloody curtains in his home.
Mamta Kafle was allegedly last seen July 31 at her home in Manassas Park, Virginia. She was reported missing several days later, but police said she was “thought to be missing on involuntary circumstances due to the length of time missing.”
In an update, Manassas Park Police said they went to Kafle’s home on Aug. 2 for a welfare check and spoke with her husband, Naresh Bhatt. Bhatt reportedly gave police information but said he did not want to report her missing. Three days later, he officially reported her missing to police. According to Manassas Park Police, her disappearance initially did not meet Virginia State Police criteria for more than a missing person. Later, her case was distributed to statewide law enforcement agencies.
While investigating, detectives “found that there was a significant lack of recent contact by Mamta with her family, friends, employer, and on social media postings” between Aug. 5 and Aug. 8, which led them to elevate her status to involuntary/critical missing.
According to police, she was seen July 27 at the University of Virginia Health Prince William Medical Center. The next day, she reportedly spoke with a friend.
On Aug. 21, Manassas Park Police executed a search warrant at Bhatt’s home and later arrested him on a charge of concealment of a dead body.
WDVM-TV reports Bhatt appeared in court Monday, Aug. 26, and was denied bond. Prosecutors reportedly read aloud some of Bhatt’s recent Google searches, which included “how long does take to marry after spouse dies” and “what happen debt after spouse dies.”
According to WDVM, while searching Bhatt and Kafle’s home, investigators used special technology that can show blood evidence even if it has already been cleaned up. Prosecutors reportedly argued in court that the “entire shower floor glowed” from blood and that one investigator said they had “never seen this much blood.”
Prosecutors said the amount of blood found at the scene makes it appear that Kafle sustained “injuries that are not survivable.”
Other evidence at the home reportedly included an empty bottle of carpet cleaner he bought on July 31, blood under the carpet, blinds with trace evidence of blood, and more. WDVM reports Bhatt allegedly reportedly purchased three knives on July 30, but investigators could only find one of them.
Kafle’s cellphone reportedly pinged Aug. 1 in Loudon County around the same time her husband’s phone was placed in airplane mode.
Kafle and Bhatt have a daughter, who is now in custody of the Department of Social Services.
WUSA-TV reports Bhatt sold his Tesla on Aug. 19 and was having financial trouble with car payments and a mortgage.
Kafle has still not been found.