US news: Man kills wife, later googles ‘how soon can you remarry after spouse’s death’

A man has been charged with murder more than four months after his wife disappeared, and substantial blood was discovered in their suburban Washington home, authorities announced on Monday.

As reported by the Associated Press, Naresh Bhatt, 37, was indicted by a Prince William County grand jury on charges of murder and defiling a dead body, according to online court records. Moreover, court records show that Naresh Bhatt searched online for “How long does it take to get married after spouse dies” several months before his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, disappeared.

Also Read: Jharkhand horror: Man rapes, murders live-in partner, cuts body into over 40 pieces

However, the body of Mamta Bhatt, 28, has not been found. But investigators linked her DNA to the blood found in the couple’s home, Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo said Monday evening at a news conference, as reported by the Associated Press.

Also Read: Murder news: Indian-origin man in US accused of hiding wife’s dead body; here’s what we know so far

“Investigators conducted their first search warrant when Naresh Bhatt was home with the couple’s baby and discovered blood in the bedroom as well as the bathroom,” Lugo said, AP reported.

He added that evidence shows that Bhatt cut up his wife’s body, which prompted the defiling charge.

The investigation into Mamta Bhatt’s disappearance has captured international attention, particularly in the small northern Virginia community, where homicides are rare. The case prompted both local residents and her family in Nepal to unite in their efforts to uncover what happened. They used social media, organized community events, and held rallies to raise awareness. Within days, public pressure on her husband, Naresh Bhatt, began to mount.

Three weeks after Mamta’s disappearance in late July, Naresh Bhatt was charged with felony concealment of a dead body and placed in jail, where he remains. A prosecutor revealed in court that the significant amount of blood found in the home suggested injuries that were not survivable, AP reported.

Also Read: Rockstar fame Nargis Fakhri’s sister Aliya arrested in US for killing ex-boyfriend; ‘was an abusive relationship…’

The investigation continued into Mamta Bhatt’s death. But in September, Lenox, the public defender, argued that Naresh Bhatt was still entitled to a speedy trial on the count of concealing a dead body. The trial on that charge was scheduled for next week.

Bodiless murder cases are not uncommon, according to law enforcement experts. While they remain challenging to prosecute, advances in evidence-gathering techniques, such as DNA, cellphone location data, and surveillance footage, have made such cases easier to handle in recent years.

Also Read: ‘Attacks, murders, looting…’: RSS slams atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh, seeks release of priest Chinmoy Das

Tad DiBiase, a former federal prosecutor and author of the 2014 book No-Body Homicide Cases: A Practical Guide to Investigating, Prosecuting and Winning Cases When the Victim is Missing, tracks bodiless murder trials on his website. As of September 2, DiBiase reported an 87% conviction rate from 604 trials across the U.S., AP reported.

(With inputs from agencies)