Prosecutors End Case in Bhatt Trial After Expert Links Carpet Blood to Victim
Forensic analysts testified that the placement of stains and missing patterns in the bedroom support the theory that the victim was killed and moved.
By Petra Murphy ·
The prosecution concluded its presentation of evidence on Monday in the trial of Naresh Bhatt, a Northern Virginia man accused of killing and dismembering his wife, Mamta Kafle. The case involves a timeline spanning more than two years since Kafle last appeared.
Iris Dalley Graff, a professional forensic evidence analyst hired by the state, provided key testimony regarding the primary bedroom where the murder allegedly took place. Graff presented a diagram showing the original position of the bed and the location where it was later moved. The shift in the furniture covered specific areas of the carpet that contained blood stains.
According to Graff, the absence of blood in certain expected areas indicates that cleaning took place. She noted that if blood is found on the underside of carpet, it must have been on the top surface at some point. The expert described the missing stains on the upper layer as a sign of an attempt to remove evidence.
Graff also mapped the path of the blood, tracing it from the area near the bed to the primary bathroom, where investigators found additional biological evidence. Earlier in the trial, a forensic scientist determined that the majority of the blood on the primary bedroom carpet was "beyond likely" to be Kafle's.
Mahesh Kafle, the victim's brother, was the final witness for the state. He described a conversation with his sister shortly before she disappeared, during which she shared a photo of what appeared to be a black eye. Mahesh testified that Mamta told him the bruise was from Bhatt and asked him to keep the image as proof. She subsequently deleted the photo from her phone to prevent Bhatt from seeing it.
A close friend of the couple testified that Bhatt gave her Mamta's jewelry and his own wedding ring approximately two weeks after her disappearance. The friend recalled that Bhatt had discussed a potential divorce with her seven to eight months before the incident. Last week, experts linked DNA and blood samples found in an electric saw to Kafle. Prosecutors stated that Bhatt purchased the tool months before the alleged killing and later gave it to a landscaper, who then turned it over to police.
