Defense rests in Naresh Bhatt murder trial

Today, the defense resting its case in the Naresh Bhat murder trial. The Manassas Park man accused of killing his wife took the stand for a final time, trying to explain why he dismembered her body. Fox 5's Homa Bash, live at the Prince William County Courthouse tonight with the latest. Homa. Kenneth, good evening. The defense resting their case around 3:30 this afternoon, and today we heard from Naresh Bhatt admit to treating Mamta badly emotionally, but still saying that he found her dead, claiming that she took her own life and that he did dismember her body. We also heard from Mamta's brother saying that she would have never done that. She loved her daughter too much. This is Naresh's last few moments on the stand when he was directly asked If he killed his wife. I wasn't treating her emotionally well. I wasn't helping her well the way I used to do that. Do you regret that? A lot. Just the final questions, Mr. Bhatt. Did you physically harm Mamta Kafei? Never. Did you kill her? Sustained. Sustained. No further questions. Why were you so concerned about Mamta's disappearance? We'll just record it. Because I don't think so. She would go somewhere else and disappear. And she would not the girl there to commit suicide and I know she loved her daughter so much. That daughter was just weeks away from her first birthday when her mother disappeared. The murder trial for the Manassas Park man now in its sixth week, but took the stand in his own defense for the first time last week, testifying that he found his wife unresponsive in their home in July 2024. He says he panicked, tried CPR unsuccessfully and did not call for help, worried he would be blamed for her death. Instead, he said he used a saw to cut up her body and throw her remains in various dumpsters. Today, we also heard from a forensic psychologist called by the defense who testified Bhatt likely suffers from PTSD, but even that expert drawing a distinction between panicking and what Butt admitted to doing next. His conclusion that he jumped to was, I've got to get rid of this body. And he started taking steps to get rid of that body and thought that was his only viable way out of this situation. He went and got something to cut up the body. He got garbage bags to put the body in. He brought the body into the bathtub. That's what he described. There have been dozens of friends, family, and supporters of Mamta inside this courtroom every single day. Today was day 18. Again, the defense rested their case today. We're expecting the jury to come back in the morning and get this case very, very soon. And for some context on how invested the community is in this, I spoke to a woman who was leaving the courtroom. She drove here from 90 minutes away, no connection to the couple, the case, the trial, but she just wanted I just wanted to be inside this courtroom because she's been watching it every single day. and watching it unfold for the last two years. Kenneth, Angie.