Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, was last seen at work on Saturday, July 27, and police and prosecutors have spent the days since trying to determine what happened to the young mother and nurse.
On Thursday, August 22, her husband Naresh Bhatt was arrested in connection with her disappearance and remains in jail without bail.
Here you can find out what is known about Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s three years in the USA and what happened shortly before and after her disappearance.
Naresh Bhatt, a US citizen with six to seven years of service in the US Army, and Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a Nepalese citizen, marry. Mamta Kafle Bhatt emigrates from Nepal to the USA.
The couple buys their house in Manassas Park.
Their daughter Neema is born.
- Manassas Park police respond to a call from the couple’s Manassas Park home. Mamta Kafle Bhatt tells police that Naresh Bhatt would not give her her passport, green card and social security card and that he destroyed her phone.
- Mamta Kafle Bhatt posts in private groups for single mothers on Facebook asking for help and stating that she intends to leave her husband.
Naresh Bhatt uses a government laptop to Google “what happens if your spouse dies?” (sic) and “how long does it take to remarry after your spouse dies?”, according to a Prince William County prosecutor.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt begins work as a nurse at UVA Prince William Medical Center in Manassas. Previously, she worked at INOVA Hospital in Fairfax.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt was last seen at work.
A friend said Mamta Kafle Bhatt called her twice, but the friend was unable to respond. No messages were left.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s cellphone is no longer in “constant connection” with Naresh Bhatt’s cellphone. Neither friends nor family ever hear from her again, and her regular posts on Facebook and TikTok stop.
Naresh Bhatt buys a three-pack of knives at Walmart. Two of the knives are still missing.
Naresh Bhatt buys cleaning products, including carpet cleaner, Lysol and Febreeze, at Walmart.
- Mamta Kafle Bhatt doesn’t show up for work at the hospital or call. Her supervisor asks police to conduct a welfare check at her Manassas Park home.
- Data from Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s cellphone shows that she was in an area in Loudoun County near a body of water when Naresh Bhatt’s phone lost connection for two hours. Naresh Bhatt showed police a receipt from a Loudoun County cafe he reportedly visited that day.
- Mamta Kafle Bhatt once again fails to show up for her shift at the hospital.
- Manassas Park police conduct a welfare check at the couple’s home and meet Naresh Bhatt at the front door. Officers announce they are looking for Mamta Kafle Bhatt. Naresh Bhatt tells them they are breaking up and that he last saw her on July 31. He tells police that on August 1, he heard “some noises” in the house and assumed it was his wife.
- Naresh Bhatt also tells police that he did not believe that Mamta Kafle Bhatt was missing and that she might be visiting her sister in New York or Texas. Later, police learn that she has no biological family in the US. He also tells police that she destroyed her cell phone before she left.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt calls Naresh Bhatt. This was the last activity on her phone.
Naresh Bhatt contacts Manassas Park police and says he has not heard from his wife and she is officially reported missing.
A Manassas Park police detective visits Naresh Bhatt at the couple’s home. Naresh Bhatt tells the detective that some of Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s clothing is missing, as well as her passport, green card and social security card. Naresh Bhatt again tells the detective that Mamta Kafle Bhatt was still at the house on July 31.
Naresh Bhatt tells the police that he is preparing to repatriate Neema to Nepal.
Naresh Bhatt sells his Tesla to CarMax.
Naresh Bhatt allows Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s friends to enter his house to celebrate the couple’s daughter’s first birthday.
- Police execute a search warrant for the couple’s Manassas Park home and discover pools of blood suggesting that a body was inside the house and had been dragged from the master bedroom into the bathroom.
- Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo holds a press conference declaring Naresh Bhatt a “person of interest” in the disappearance of Mamta Kafle Bhatt and stating that Naresh Bhatt has stopped cooperating with the investigation.
- Naresh Bhatt is arrested for the crime of concealing a corpse and taken to the Prince William – Manassas Adult Detention Center.
- The couple’s daughter is taken out of the home and placed in the care of the local social welfare office.
- Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo holds a community meeting where he tells Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s friends there are “no signs” that she is alive.
Prosecutor Sarah Sami announces for the first time the results of the search of Naresh Bhatt’s Manassas Park home during his first court hearing.
Saturday and Sunday, 24–25 August
Forensic tests have revealed that blood was found during a search of the Bhatts’ house.
- A judge concludes that Naresh Bhatt is both a “flight risk and a danger to the community,” denying him bail and sending him to prison to await trial on a charge of “concealing a corpse.”