Husband admits to dismembering wife after taking stand in week 5 of murder trial

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Jurors heard from more forensic experts as the Commonwealth wraps its case in the Naresh Bhatt murder trial. The Manassas Park man is accused of killing his wife Mamta Koffley Bhatt and hiding her body. She was never found. Our Rebecca Turco has more now from today's testimony. [00:00:20] Rebecca Turco: Jurors heard from two forensic experts and they also heard from some of Mamta's friends. One of those friends, Mandira Shrest, was friends with Naresh for years before meeting Mamta. She testified Naresh joined the army years prior because he wanted to bring a different woman to America who she said was the one who linked him up with Mamta. We know from prior testimony the couple had an arranged marriage. She testified Naresh also would compare Mamta to Mandira in front of them when talking about the type of woman he'd want to marry. And Mandira said Naresh asked her about divorce lawyers before since she'd been divorced. Fast forward to the days surrounding Mamta's disappearance. She told jurors Naresh's mom called saying she couldn't reach her son. The witness said Naresh first told her Mamta was at work. Then days later told her he didn't know where Mamta was. Mandira testified Naresh gave her the couple's jewelry, including his wedding ring in mid-August of that year, asking her to keep it safe with all of the people visiting the house during the search for Mamta. Then on August 20th, 2024, she said she approached him at his daughter's birthday party. And here's what she told jurors. I asked him, did you do anything with Mamta? [00:01:35] Speaker 3: And he replied saying, do you think I will do something to her? So you asked him a question. [00:01:41] Speaker 4: And he answers your question with another question. Exactly. Mandira said two days later, [00:01:47] Rebecca Turco: Naresh asked her to adopt his baby, saying he didn't want to leave her with his in-laws. That was the day Naresh was arrested. And the same day, Mandira said she gave the couple's jewelry over to police. Jurors also heard from another CarMax worker who testified the car Naresh sold them had already been fully detailed and cleaned by the time police came to pick it up. He told jurors Mamta wasn't acting like herself after she gave birth to their daughter in 2023 that her mental health wasn't the same. He said on Valentine's Day 2024, they got into an argument. He testified. He asked Mamta if she withdrew $1,000 from the bank and said she claimed she didn't. Jurors watched cell phone videos Naresh said he took of Mamta later calling police. She's heard saying her husband took all of her documents, though she doesn't specify what those documents are. Naresh denied doing that. We know from prior testimony from a responding police officer that night that Mamta was allegedly crying but wouldn't tell police what happened. Naresh testified Mamta left their home for a few days after that incident. Jurors heard in prior testimony from the friend who took Mamta in that she said Mamta stayed with her for more than two weeks and she testified Mamta showed her a video with a bruise on Mamta's face that Mamta said came from Naresh. Naresh testified he never physically hurt his wife. He walked jurors through text messages between the couple those following days. Remember jurors previously saw translations of those messages but today Naresh disputed some of those translations and clarified what he said he meant in some of his [00:03:28] Speaker 5: responses. What did you mean when you say why I missed that? The days are coming that you will regret a lot. [00:03:35] Speaker 6: It's American way it looks a little you know bad but like you know the way I'm saying here you know like if you keep doing these stuff it's gonna be like regret. You're gonna lose something uh like you know you're not gonna have the same luxury or same thing what we have right now. [00:03:55] Rebecca Turco: Naresh also told jurors about messages he sent to someone else from around that time about finding a Colombian woman for Naresh to marry. Naresh testified he was just joking around that he wasn't trying to have a relationship with anyone else. So the defense is going to continue their line of questioning tomorrow and it's unclear how much longer things are going to take because they left off talking about uh things happening back in February of 2024 and remember we've got to make our way to July and [00:04:27] Speaker 7: August. We know the couple had a fight on Valentine's Day a few months before Mamta went missing she called police. It turns out Naresh was recording her during that interaction and he can be heard in the video telling her good job thank you you did it thank you for calling 911 and he testified that he knows he was being sarcastic when he said that he says he was upset she called police because it would harm their reputation he says he never laid a hand on her. So you were verbally saying these bad things to her? [00:05:02] Speaker 5: Yes. Did you touch her? Never. During that? Never. Did you did you use any kind of physical violence against her? [00:05:11] Speaker 6: Never. Never. Never ever ever. [00:05:15] Speaker 7: That was probably the hardest line of questioning he had to face yesterday. The defense spent a good amount of time asking about his childhood his upbringing in India and Nepal. He testified he was physically and emotionally abused around 13 or 14 years old pressured to join the military there but he says he got away. Fast forward to when he moved here to the U.S. in 2016 as an adult. He ultimately joins the army reserves and becomes a citizen. He and Mamta later connect on Facebook and get married. She moved to the U.S. in 2021 and Naresh testified about how they settled into their marriage and split [00:05:48] Speaker 5: responsibilities at home. What was she responsible for? What were her roles in the house? [00:05:55] Speaker 6: To control me or she do the kitchen cooking. Cooking is like you know cooking and then study cooking and studying to cooking and then what type of clothes we have like you know fancy decoration stuff like that. [00:06:16] Speaker 7: And he says he would handle the paperwork the groceries things to that nature. Now we have not heard any questions about that hard-hitting evidence the prosecution has introduced like blood in their bedroom their bathroom and in the saw that he bought and later handed off to a landscaper. [00:06:33] Speaker 8: Liana I'm so curious about his demeanor on the stand he testified for several hours what was he like up there? [00:06:40] Speaker 7: Yeah you know you just saw some of it some short answers plenty of sarcasm mixed in there that wasn't the only time there was a little bit of that up there you know he he said he was nervous when he was initially sworn in when he was asked how he was feeling but generally very calm as you saw certainly kind of upbeat he seems willing he seems eager to answer these questions almost kind of chatty with [00:07:02] Speaker 5: some of those long-form answers. Were you regularly telling her at this time that you would divorce her? [00:07:13] Speaker 6: Not regularly when we like you know conversation doesn't [00:07:16] Speaker 5: sounds very pleasant yes. So it was not when you would have disputes? Yes. Were you both like in the message thread that you had with her on February 16th were you both tossing around the idea of divorce? I was doing more. Were both of you threatening or hinting at as again you say in this thread committing suicide? Yes. Did you feel did you think were you were you pulling back from Mamta at this point? [00:08:07] Speaker 6: Would you mind to repeat that one more time please? [00:08:09] Speaker 5: And it may not be a good correlative um were you emotionally and and mentally pulling yourself away from Mamta a little bit at this point? That is correct. Um were you abandoning her a little bit? No. [00:08:33] Speaker 6: Is she acting like she was happy? When making the TikTok video yes otherwise no. [00:08:42] Speaker 5: So now let's move on Mr. Bott and talk about um the time frame that brings us all of us here in this trial okay. So let's let's talk about July 29th of 2024. Do you remember that day? Yes. What time did you go to bed on July 29th? [00:09:12] Speaker 6: Around Seven eight around eight. Let's say a little bit uh plus minus eight. Did you um did you take Nima to bed [00:09:23] Speaker 5: that night? Yes. Um and do did you stay with her after you went upstairs? With Nima? Yes. Yes. Where was Mamta when you went to bed? Downstairs. Downstairs where? Uh kitchen. In the kitchen? Yes. What was she [00:09:42] Speaker 6: doing in the kitchen when you left? She was doing some kitchen work and then she was on the phone. Okay she [00:09:47] Speaker 5: was on the phone. Do you know when she went upstairs to bed? No I don't know. Did you hear her come upstairs? No I don't. Did you hear her moving around upstairs after she came to bed? No. So Mr. Bott what time did you wake up on first of all did you did you wake up on 30th? [00:10:13] Speaker 6: July 30th? Usually if I have a baby around 12 o'clock and then around four o'clock uh then yeah that's the [00:10:21] Speaker 5: regular. Okay so did you get up at four o'clock or sometime around? Around yes. Um where was Nima when [00:10:30] Speaker 6: you woke up? Uh with me on on the same bed we are on the same bed. Okay um when you did did you leave the room? Yes. Where did you go? Bathroom. Which bathroom did you go to? Uh our bathroom master bathroom. When you so was the door open or shut to the bedroom? Usually even like our main door we don't shut we [00:10:57] Speaker 5: don't lock any of the door even main door we don't lock. So was it open that that night? Open means like not locked but like closed. So it was actually closed into the jam. Yes. But not locked. Yes. When you started to go into the bedroom where did you go once you opened the door? Uh directly try to go to the bathroom. And did you get into the bathroom? No. Um what stopped you from going into the bathroom? [00:11:28] Speaker 6: I have you know feel some different scenes and then different smells and the dim light was there and then I don't know exactly the terminology I have a different type of uh feel scenes yeah different scenes or smell smell and scenes yeah. Where was was there light in the room? On the table stand dim light yes. On the table stand? Yes. Um where was where was the table? Table stand uh I don't know it's a table [00:12:04] Speaker 5: or not uh next to the bed bed head. Okay and there's a there's a there's a there's a lamp there? Yes. Okay um did you notice any other light in the room at the time? [00:12:18] Speaker 6: On the hallway small dim light red light yes. And what is that is that like a night light? Night light yes. [00:12:26] Speaker 5: What did you do when you had that sense and you noticed a different smell? [00:12:33] Speaker 6: Then I just came back and then asked for mom. Where was did you see her? Yes. Where was she? Uh on the floor? [00:12:42] Speaker 5: And um Can you describe what you saw when you saw mom on the floor? [00:12:53] Speaker 6: Yes uh on the floor uh uh face uh facing north side and then she was lying with uh [00:13:00] Speaker 5: vomit stuff like that. Was she what was she lying? How was she lying on on her side on her back on the front? [00:13:08] Speaker 6: How was she? Back tilted head. Back and what? On the back on back to head tilted. And her health head tilted. [00:13:16] Speaker 9: Do you remember which? I'm sorry can you repeat the answer? Head tilted. Head tilted. Thank you sir. [00:13:25] Speaker 6: And what else did you see? Uh the vomit with a different stuff uh where were you when you when you [00:13:35] Speaker 5: immediately immediately. Sorry you said what else did you see and I did not hear the answer. Can you um so answer answer the question again. What else did you see besides um vomit and her head tilted? [00:13:52] Speaker 6: Uh vomit and then uh on the tunery she was on the chunni so vomit and uh what's a chunni? Chunni is a similar uh small clothes like you have like you have exactly like this with a different color yes. Okay [00:14:08] Speaker 5: and um and where and where was the chunni? Uh underneath underneath her. And was it spread out [00:14:16] Speaker 6: or was it balled up? A little scratch uh [00:14:22] Speaker 5: What are you going to do? Just kind of packed up. Yeah. Show us if you're you're doing it there no one [00:14:29] Speaker 6: can see it but you so. If this is like in a normal little like little not very well like this. Okay and um [00:14:39] Speaker 5: Mr. Buck we have to stand up and just um just come to the edge there. So and so show me what it looked like. Okay and and where was she in comparison? Okay and Jeff if I can just um let the record reflect that he's taken a tissue normal size Kleenex tissue and he's just crumpled it a little bit and he's pointed to [00:15:09] Rebecca Turco: the middle of that couple. And the record will reflect that. [00:15:19] Speaker 5: Where were you where were you standing when you first saw her? On the front. So had you moved towards her? Yes. And um Where was she in comparison to the bed? Behind. Uh when you say behind was she behind the headboard? [00:15:41] Speaker 6: No. Uh back of the where the feets are. Where the feet are? Yes. So she's at the foot of the bed. Further back. Uh further back from the [00:16:00] Speaker 5: feet of the bed bed. Okay and um where so just so the jury gets a clear picture um So Mr. Vought I think it's going to be necessary. I hope I hope we can do this in a clear way. Was the bed um on the same wall as the um the the bathroom at that time? [00:16:38] Speaker 6: Yes. So can you repeat one more time please? [00:16:41] Speaker 5: Yeah so so what I'm trying to I'm trying to give a visual image so there's a wall where the bathroom is right and a closet on that wall. Yes. And then was the bed on the neck the wall that was immediately next to that or was it somewhere else? West of that yes west side. So just one just on the next wall over? Yes. Okay and it was that's where the bed was at the time that you saw her? [00:17:10] Speaker 6: The bed head bed head facing on the west feet facing on the the bed of the feet facing on the east. [00:17:20] Speaker 5: And it goes which way the directions are. So is the bed against the wall? Yes. And the feet are into the room? Half of end of room yes. Okay and then she's at the foot of the bed? Yes. Okay and and just to be clear with the photos that have been shown by the commonwealth you had moved the bed by then right? That is correct. So it was no longer in the place where you had bound her? [00:17:46] Speaker 6: That is correct. Some of the photos shown was original beds were there but uh it was on the video [00:17:52] Speaker 5: I guess. I do not remember exactly. Okay so sorry I don't want to distract us from what we're talking about right now. When you went over to her did you stand or did you do something else? [00:18:06] Speaker 6: I do not clearly remember but like you know once I uh touch her maybe definitely I bend or knee I don't [00:18:14] Speaker 5: remember that uh yes. And with regard to the vomit I I know this is hard tell me exactly where [00:18:22] Speaker 6: and what you saw with regard to the vomit? Around the neck and then side of the neck on the floor. And um [00:18:34] Speaker 5: how about on her face or her mouth? A little bit yes. And did you get did you get close to see [00:18:42] Speaker 6: to look at? Yes then I turned the light on and yes. Okay so you actually turned the light on in the room? [00:18:49] Speaker 5: Yes. And did you did you go over and look at what was in the vomit itself? That is correct yes. What did you see? [00:18:57] Speaker 6: There were pills, blood, uh capsule and then food particles. What kind of food? The greens and then uh noodles and rice greens dal noodles yes. So what is dal. Dal is a lentils lentils cooked deeply cooked lentils small lentils. And um and the noodles what was in the noodles? Uh noodles uh are over here we say chow chow. Like spaghetti or ramen or ramen noodle yes. Two x spicy ramen noodle. And is that the kind you had in the house? [00:19:45] Speaker 5: Yes. Um Mr. Bot what is sulfose? That is a pesticide. Did you um how do you know what it is? [00:19:59] Speaker 6: Uh back home we use that for our agriculture and put on the weight uh to protect the weight weight wheat? We go. Go. Go. Go. [00:20:13] Speaker 5: Can I approach the witness to the first time? You may. You may. To identify these uh pictures. Yes. Um and can you what is this? [00:20:28] Speaker 6: This is agriculture we use uh at our homes uh to protect our wheat from like very small insects uh that's what we use uh at our homes. So do you use it in in a household way? [00:20:42] Speaker 5: Yes. And um and is this something that you had in your own home? Yes. Um and is these pictures a true and accurate depiction of what the packaging looks like of an unopened selfless package? A hundred percent yes. So judge I would like to have these numbers. [00:21:04] Speaker 9: Relevance? [00:21:08] Speaker 5: I'm I'm gonna are you afraid that you're gonna be blamed for driving her to suicide? Yes. Are you afraid that you're gonna be blamed for not taking serious? How? [00:21:24] Speaker 6: A hundred percent yes. [00:21:30] Speaker 5: Okay so now let's go back Mr. Vought. At some point did you start to cut the body of Mamta Kapha? [00:21:51] Speaker 6: Yes. [00:21:52] Speaker 5: And what did you what do you remember about that? [00:22:00] Speaker 6: Just make a smaller size so that it fit on the can. [00:22:05] Speaker 5: Um do you remember the details of how you did that? [00:22:11] Speaker 6: Not all. Some of yes. Some of no. [00:22:15] Speaker 5: What do you remember? Tell the jury what you do remember. [00:22:21] Speaker 6: Uh I was trying to leg apart. [00:22:26] Speaker 5: You were trying to do what? [00:22:27] Speaker 6: Lower body apart. [00:22:29] Speaker 5: So lower body apart. Lower her body apart? [00:22:33] Speaker 6: Yes. [00:22:33] Speaker 5: What do you mean by lower? [00:22:35] Speaker 6: Uh like separate the legs from the body. [00:22:37] Speaker 5: Okay and um did were you were you able to do that? [00:22:45] Speaker 6: No. [00:22:46] Speaker 5: Um were you did you do and we're just talking now about the the day that first day? [00:22:53] Speaker 6: Yes. [00:22:54] Speaker 5: Were you able to accomplish all of that that first day? [00:23:00] Speaker 6: No. [00:23:03] Speaker 5: Why did you stop? [00:23:07] Speaker 6: Mentally and physically I was powerless. I was unable to do that. [00:23:14] Speaker 5: You mean you didn't have the strength to do it? [00:23:16] Speaker 6: Yes. [00:23:21] Speaker 5: Where was her body when you were trying to take to take it apart? [00:23:28] Speaker 6: Uh it's a bath bathroom uh where the take uh taking the shower uh it's a tub white color of tub. [00:23:34] Speaker 5: The tub. [00:23:35] Speaker 6: Yes. [00:23:36] Speaker 5: So the shower or the tub? [00:23:38] Speaker 6: White color of the tub. [00:23:39] Speaker 5: Okay. [00:23:40] Speaker 6: Like my hands were not working and then my I was feeling like I don't know what I was feeling but feeling very differently I was unable to do anything and then my hands were even not working. Body wasn't working and then my feeling process wasn't clear. I like a lot of black things coming on my head eyes I my you know system like wasn't working so I put the dead body in the trash so nothing else only gold and then money except uh body uh what the clothes on uh only gold and money that's it silver gold money that's it. [00:24:25] Speaker 5: Why why not put the clothes in the trash though? Why not do that? [00:24:31] Speaker 6: I don't know that but like I just want to throw somewhere away usually don't throw on this with the same who dead body supposed to be not throwing with the clothes or stuff like that's usually supposed to be burned. [00:24:48] Speaker 5: Um so did you when you did you take Nima to the babysitters the next day? [00:25:00] Speaker 6: I guess yes yes. And then did you come back home? [00:25:05] Speaker 5: Yes. And what did you do when you came back home? Putting the trash can. And how what did you do before you put your body in the trash [00:25:17] Speaker 6: can? Uh reduce the size and then putting a trash can with the with the back in the bag. How did you do that Mr. Bhatt? With the uh I had a saw we I used the saw. [00:25:31] Speaker 5: Did you use knives? A little bit but not a lot. And you've seen the picture of the Ryobi saw saw. Yes. Is that what you use? Yes. And how before you put did you put her body in anything out of the parts of her body in anything else before you put those parts into the trash can? No whatever in the trash can I remove [00:26:06] Speaker 6: and then I throw those even in the uh in my car I put in my car and then I throw those in false [00:26:11] Speaker 5: shirts where I used to leave. And you're talking about the trash that was in the trash can? Yes. [00:26:17] Speaker 6: What do you remember what was in the trash can? Food, diapers, I don't remember those stuff. And then her body, [00:26:26] Speaker 5: did you put her body in anything before you put it in the trash can? Trash bag, not the kitchen bag. Kitchen trash bag. Um did you use two bags or one bag? Two bag. Do you remember how many different bags with her body you put into the trash? I don't I guess three. What day of the week was was this day Mr. Bot July 31? Do you remember? No. Do you remember what is the day? [00:27:13] Speaker 6: I do I forgot now. I do but I forgot now. [00:27:18] Speaker 5: Did was it um was it the day that the trash truck was going to come and pick up trash? Yes. Did you remember that then that that was going to happen? [00:27:30] Speaker 6: No I have no memory at that time now. Did you did you what time did you finish taking mom's body into parts? I don't remember that it's it's it's somewhere just I came back from the babysitter's and then when I I was going to the babysitter's I saw like people pulling those [00:27:55] Speaker 5: cans outside then I realized oh it's a trash day. So was this something that you finished before the trash [00:28:03] Speaker 6: came? Question one more time please. Did you finish [00:28:11] Speaker 5: cutting Mamta Kahle's body before the trash came? Yes. And did you know that that that her physical body would be taken away at that time? Yes. And did any part of her body ever go into the Tesla? No. Did any part of her body go anywhere else other than the trash in your garage? No. I think this is clear but I want I want to make it make sure it's clear um you cut her body up and put it in the trash so that it would not be found? Yes. And you that was your intention as you were cutting her body up and putting it in the trash is that no one find her body? Question one more time. It was your intention you intended that no one to find her body that's why [00:29:21] Speaker 1: you did that? Yes. News this noon bombshell testimony from Naresh Bhatt at his own murder trial. He just testified that he found his wife unresponsive and admitted to attempting to dismember her body and trying to get rid of it. The Manassas Park man is accused of murdering Mamta Coughley Bhatt more than two years ago. Joining me now is seven news digital reporter Jade Lawson. She's been monitoring the court proceedings since the very beginning. This is a big day Jade. Yeah Michelle [00:29:49] Speaker 10: it's been a huge stunning day. So Naresh Bhatt testified this morning about the last time he remembers seeing his wife Mamta alive and that he found her unresponsive body inside of their Manassas Park home on July 30 of 2024. Now in more shocking testimony he also just admitted that he tried to dismember Mamta's body and was trying to get rid of it. Take a listen. Did you finish cutting Mamta Coughley's body [00:30:16] Speaker 5: before the trash came? Yes. And did you know that that that her physical body would be taken away [00:30:26] Speaker 6: at that time? Yes. And [00:30:34] Speaker 5: did any part of her body ever go into the Tesla? No. Did any part of her body go anywhere else? No. than the trash in your garage? No. I think this is clear but I want I want to make it make sure it's clear. Um you cut her body up and put it in the trash so that it would not be found? Yes. Do you remember [00:31:00] Speaker 6: going to the Home Depot? Yes. Why did you go there? To find anything like to hide or like anything to go to the Potomac. To do what? To find anything to hide a body. And what was the second thing you said? Or anything like you know I can get something to take to the Potomac. For the Potomac? Potomac yes. Were you [00:31:24] Speaker 5: thinking about what why did what what were you going to do if you went to the Potomac? Uh uh with the gold [00:31:31] Speaker 6: and money and I put the dead body on the Potomac River. Wow just a stunning line of questioning right [00:31:40] Speaker 1: now to hear Naresh admit to trying to hide the body even thinking of going to the Potomac River? It is [00:31:46] Speaker 10: yeah and you heard that he says he was taking deep breaths while he was on the stand. I can tell you right now nobody in that courtroom probably expected to hear such a testimony. His eyes were closed. He looked down as he recounted exactly what was happening and what he did to Mompton in the days following. [00:32:01] Speaker 5: Take a listen. Let's move on Mr. Bott and talk about um the time frame that brings us all of us here in this trial okay. What did you do when you had that sense and you noticed a difference now? [00:32:21] Speaker 6: Then I just came back and then asked for Mompton. Where was did you see her? Yes. Where was she? Uh on the floor. And um can you describe what you saw when you saw Mompton on the floor? Yes uh on the floor uh uh facing north side and then she was lying with uh uh vomit stuff like that. Was she what was she lying? How was she lying? [00:32:54] Speaker 5: On her side? On her back? On her front? Where was she? Back tilted head. Back and what? On the back on back head tilted. And her health to head tilted. Do you remember which? I'm sorry could you repeat the answer? [00:33:06] Speaker 9: Head tilted. Head tilted. Head tilted. Thank you sir. [00:33:13] Speaker 1: Just a lot for the jury to digest. I mean uh another twist to all of this. Nuresh said that in his testimony that he even considered taking his own life? [00:33:23] Speaker 10: Yeah I mean he mentioned that you know in the days following trying to dismember his body there was a lot going on right? He was dropping his daughter off to a babysitter. He was trying to figure out what he was going to do whether what he was going to do with that dismembered body. And he also described attempting to get a wire or a cable but he said that he didn't want to go through with it. He also said that he tried CPR on Mamtha but did not call police. Take a listen. [00:33:46] Speaker 6: That's the I really at that point scared. I don't know why I did not. I tried to call. I really scared. I don't know why something take over me. I was really really panicked. I don't know. I don't really even like it's been like two over two years. I have completed more than three thousand five hundred hours of meditation. Still I don't have that answer. [00:34:15] Speaker 1: Now our reporter in the courtroom during the testimony I spoke to her just before air time and she tells me the jury looked confused during this testimony because all along the story has been initially Nuresh claimed that he just didn't know what happened to Mamtha. She disappeared is what he told police and told even reporters early on uh when she was first reported missing. This is a huge twist. [00:34:41] Speaker 10: Yeah it's a huge twist and prosecutors haven't even begun their cross-examination. But Bot said that he was afraid of being blamed for Mamtha's death. Here's how that exchange went in the courtroom. [00:34:51] Speaker 5: Are you afraid that you're going to be blamed for driving her to suicide? Yes. Are you afraid that you're going to be blamed for not taking serious? How? [00:35:07] Speaker 1: 100% yes. All right so Jade obviously a lot has happened just in the last two hours of testimony but we should make it clear to our viewers that Bot has not admitted to killing Mamtha. He has only admitted to finding her dead and trying to cut up her body and then trying to get rid of it. [00:35:27] Speaker 10: For sure yeah and I'm gonna be continuing to closely monitor this as we're watching the testimony and [00:35:32] Speaker 1: posting live updates on WJLA. Today Nuresh Bhatt told jurors that he found Mamtha unresponsive and then tried to get rid of her body because he did not want to get in trouble with police. [00:35:45] Speaker 11: Good evening I'm Michelle Marsh and I'm Scott Thuman. The dramatic new details coming out during the fifth week of testimony in this murder trial. Our Rebecca Turco has been following this story since Mamtha first disappeared back in the summer of 2024. Rebecca family and friends they have been [00:36:01] Speaker 1: pleading for answers for years now what did Nuresh say? Yeah he said a lot he admitted to lying multiple [00:36:12] Rebecca Turco: times he said he was lying that he hid his wife's body but he said that he never physically was violent to her [00:36:20] Speaker 4: take a listen. You have never hurt Mamtha ever physically? Never. You're telling the truth on that one? Yes. [00:36:38] Rebecca Turco: And after Nuresh said that the Commonwealth brought receipts from a text conversation between Nuresh and Mamtha from December 2023. Jurors saw pictures Mamtha sent him with a bruise around her right eye and blood on her nose. Nuresh claimed Mamtha told him those injuries came from her falling on the stairs. The Commonwealth also worked to poke holes not just in that but in his testimony of the timeline surrounding his wife's disappearance. Nuresh told jurors he found Mamtha lying on the floor with vomit next to her early in the morning July 30th 2024. He said he saw pills and blood in the vomit as well as evidence of a pesticide that was in the house. Nuresh testified he tried CPR and admitted he did not call 911 because [00:37:23] Speaker 4: he said he was scared. Your fear of being prosecuted was stronger than your feelings to save Mamtha. [00:37:32] Speaker 6: Mamtha was dead. No it's not like that. By the time I found her, Mamtha was dead. Already was dead. Yes, she has gone. [00:37:43] Rebecca Turco: And Nuresh also walked jurors through surveillance video that they saw once again. He admitted that it was him throwing out bags and various dumpsters, but he said those bags did not contain Mamtha's body. He said they contained other belongings like clothes. He said what he did with Mamtha's body was he put it in the trash bin that went to his trash pickup at his house. Back to you. Gosh, [00:38:09] Speaker 1: Rebecca, this is a lot for the jury to digest. What's your read on how they're taking this? [00:38:17] Rebecca Turco: Yeah, well, some of them seem physically shocked, including some jurors who really have been keeping a straight face the whole time, but they're certainly starting to show emotions now. I saw one woman put her hand over her eyes and over her mouth when Nuresh started describing the process, the brutal process of cutting his wife up. There have been times during testimony from expert witnesses where you can kind of tell some of the jurors may kind of glaze off when things might get a little bit complicated or the day's been really long. But today you could tell they seem to be hanging on to every word back to you. Rebecca, [00:38:53] Speaker 1: thank you. And we also heard the courtroom get a little noisy after the prosecutor started to cross examine Nuresh Bhatt. Take a listen. Ready? Yes. You're a liar. Yes. You lied. Order not doing that. Our digital reporter Jade Lawson has also been closely following this trial and more of today's dramatic revelations. She's been posting live updates on WGLA.com. That's where you can find all of our extensive coverage on this case and trial. We also have all of our reporting on on 7 News' YouTube page.