Court MinutesWitness says stain under bedroom rug was suspected blood; investigator says Bhatt's claimed Aug. 1 call to Mamta could not be verified
4 min read
Video: Court TV · Published 6:45 PM ET
Today in five bullets · Commonwealth v. Bhatt · Day 7 · Oct 15
- The witness testified the liquid staining the rug's underside continued onto its cardboard backing, and said it was suspected to be blood. 0:07:56
- The witness testified the defendant said he tried calling Mamta on the evening of Aug. 1, but it could not be verified from his T-Mobile app or recent calls. 0:02:45
- The witness testified a section from the darkest part of the stain was cut out as item 174 for DNA analysis because the whole rug was too large for the lab. 0:09:50
- The witness testified the defendant said he spent most of July 31 at home with Mamta after Walmart, and on Aug. 1 went to Walmart and a place he called Momo's. 0:01:54
- The witness testified that when confronted about telling police Mamta had broken her phone, the defendant denied saying that. 0:03:22
The Case
Charged: First-degree murder; concealing a dead body; defiling a dead body.
What happened: Mamta Kafle Bhatt has been missing, and her body has never been found. Her husband, Naresh Bhatt, is charged in her death. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The state says: Bhatt killed his wife, dismembered her body and threw the remains away in trash bins in Manassas Park and Fairfax, and his Google searches beforehand show premeditation.
The defense says: there is a "black hole" in the evidence the prosecution cannot fill, and most of the forensic work speaks to hiding a body, not to a premeditated killing.
Where it stands: prosecution's case · scheduled through Nov 19.
Judge Kimberly A. Irving · Defense: Tracey Lenox
Updated Day 10
What's next
The day's available clips end during the Commonwealth's questioning of the witness who collected the carpet, after the judge admitted the rug as exhibit 384 without objection.
An investigator on Bhatt's account
A police investigator testified the defendant said he spent most of July 31 at home with Mamta after Walmart, and on Aug. 1 went to Walmart and a place he called Momo's. 0:01:54 The investigator testified Bhatt said he tried calling Mamta on the evening of Aug. 1, but that it could not be verified from his T-Mobile app or recent calls. 0:02:45
The investigator testified that when confronted about telling police Mamta had broken her phone, the defendant denied saying that. 0:03:22 Judge Irving sustained a defense objection to testimony about Flock cameras for lack of foundation. 0:07:55
A Walmart employee
During the testimony of Ms. Delgado, a Walmart employee, Judge Irving received the Commonwealth's collective exhibits without objection 0:03:41 and said for the record that she had identified the defendant. 0:06:10
The bedroom rug
The judge received photo exhibits of the rug without objection. 0:04:55 A witness who collected the rug testified the liquid staining its underside continued onto the cardboard backing and was suspected to be blood. 0:07:56
The witness testified a section from the darkest part of the stain was cut out as item 174 for DNA analysis because the whole rug was too large for the lab 0:09:50, and described a presumptive blood test that turns pinkish-purplish if positive. 0:10:55 The witness identified photos of the rug, the sample and a swab that tested positive for blood 0:00:40, which the judge received without objection. 0:01:00
The witness said the roughly two-by-three-inch sample, item 174, was sent to the Department of Forensic Science 0:02:04, and that the large eight-by-10 cutout was item 142. 0:04:20 The witness identified the carpet in court by its packaging. 0:06:54
All 15 Moments
| Position in the clip | Moment |
|---|---|
| 0:04:55 | The prosecutor moved photo exhibits 253A through C and 254 through 256 into evidence, and the judge received them without objection. Direct (state) 0:04:55 into Day 7 · crime-scene investigator on the bedroom carpet (part 1/2) (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:07:56 | The witness testified the liquid staining the rug's underside continued onto its cardboard backing, and said it was suspected to be blood. Direct (state) 0:07:56 into Day 7 · crime-scene investigator on the bedroom carpet (part 1/2) (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:09:50 | The witness testified a section from the darkest part of the stain was cut out as item 174 for DNA analysis because the whole rug was too large for the lab. Direct (state) 0:09:50 into Day 7 · crime-scene investigator on the bedroom carpet (part 1/2) (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:10:55 | The witness described a phenolphthalein presumptive blood test that turns a pinkish-purplish color almost immediately if positive for blood. Direct (state) 0:10:55 into Day 7 · crime-scene investigator on the bedroom carpet (part 1/2) (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:00:40 | The witness identified photographs as the rug and the sample the witness collected, and a swab that tested positive for blood with phenolphthalein. Direct (state) 0:00:40 into Day 7 · crime-scene investigator on the bedroom carpet (part 2/2) (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:01:00 | The judge ruled Commonwealth exhibits 257 through 263 received without objection and said the Commonwealth could publish them. Ruling 0:01:00 into Day 7 · crime-scene investigator on the bedroom carpet (part 2/2) (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:02:04 | The witness described cutting a roughly two-by-three-inch sample, item 174, from the rug and said it was sent to the Department of Forensic Science. Direct (state) 0:02:04 into Day 7 · crime-scene investigator on the bedroom carpet (part 2/2) (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:04:20 | The witness said the large cutout from the rug was item 142 and agreed it was the eight-by-10 piece. Direct (state) 0:04:20 into Day 7 · crime-scene investigator on the bedroom carpet (part 2/2) (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:06:54 | The witness identified the roughly 10-by-8-foot carpet by case number, item number and initials on the packaging, and testified to sealing it last. Direct (state) 0:06:54 into Day 7 · crime-scene investigator on the bedroom carpet (part 2/2) (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:01:54 | The witness testified the defendant said he spent most of July 31 at home with Mamta after Walmart, and on Aug. 1 went to Walmart and a place he called Momo's. Direct (state) 0:01:54 into Court TV · Day 7 · police captain's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:02:45 | The witness testified the defendant said he tried calling Mamta on the evening of Aug. 1, but it could not be verified from his T-Mobile app or recent calls. Direct (state) 0:02:45 into Court TV · Day 7 · police captain's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:03:22 | The witness testified that when confronted about telling police Mamta had broken her phone, the defendant denied saying that. Direct (state) 0:03:22 into Court TV · Day 7 · police captain's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:07:55 | The defense objected to testimony about the use of flock cameras for lack of a foundation, and Judge Irving sustained the objection. Ruling 0:07:55 into Court TV · Day 7 · police captain's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:03:41 | Judge Irving ruled the Commonwealth's collective exhibits received in evidence without objection after the prosecutor moved to admit them. Ruling 0:03:41 into Court TV · Day 7 · Walmart employee's testimony and surveillance (edited clip) |
| 0:06:10 | Judge Irving said for the record that the witness, Ms. Delgado, had identified the defendant in court. Ruling 0:06:10 into Court TV · Day 7 · Walmart employee's testimony and surveillance (edited clip) |
Times are positions in the Court TV clip; no time in court was published. Each opens the clip at that moment.
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