FBI Analyst Links Tesla Location to Wife's Stationary Phone in Bhatt Trial

A Federal Bureau of Investigation data analyst testified Wednesday that digital records place Naresh Bhatt's blue Tesla in Chantilly while his wife's cell phone remained stationary. The expert reviewed location data from the vehicle and phone logs for both parties during the ongoing murder trial in Manassas, Virginia. The testimony identifies three specific instances where the two data streams diverged from one another.

In the primary example cited by the expert, Mamta Kafle Bhatt's device did not move. Bhatt's vehicle, however, traveled to the Chantilly area. The analyst stated that the data generally placed the couple in the same vicinity otherwise. This technical evidence supports the prosecution's narrative regarding the movements of the accused and the victim.

The trial moved to the Manassas Park courtroom Wednesday after neighbors took the stand Tuesday. Residents from three separate households testified that Bhatt did not inform them that his wife was missing. Bhatt remains in custody following his arrest in August 2024. He faces charges of first-degree murder, concealing a dead body, and defiling a dead body.

The case began on Aug. 1, 2024, when Mamta Kafle Bhatt failed to report for work at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center. A co-worker requested a welfare check the following day after she missed two shifts. Bhatt told responding officers he did not believe his wife was missing. He claimed he last saw her on July 29. Relatives and friends stated she would not leave her infant daughter without notice.

Bhatt filed a missing persons report on Aug. 5, 2024. He told investigators his wife had threatened to leave and suggested divorce. Authorities initially found no evidence of foul play. They reclassified her disappearance as involuntary later that same day. Police arrested Bhatt on Aug. 22, 2024, after discovering extensive bloodstains in the home's primary bedroom and bathroom.

Investigators recovered a power saw containing hair fragments from the Heather Court residence. Court records indicate Bhatt visited multiple trash disposal facilities. Her body has not been recovered. The next phase of the trial will focus on the physical evidence gathered from the scene.