Editor’s note: This story contains graphic details, including descriptions of a death and the dismemberment of a body. Some readers may find it distressing.

A jury in the US state of Virginia on Tuesday found Naresh Bhatt guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, rejecting his claim that she died by suicide.

The jury also convicted Bhatt, 39, of concealing and defiling his wife’s body, bringing an end to a trial that began following Mamta’s disappearance in July 2024, CNN reported. Her remains have never been found.

According to CNN, Bhatt testified last week that he found Mamta unconscious on the floor of their bedroom on July 30, 2024. He said he tried to revive her for 45 minutes to an hour but failed. He claimed he panicked and, fearing that he would be blamed for her death, dismembered her body using a saw and disposed of the remains in rubbish bags.

Bhatt denied killing his wife, maintaining that she had died by suicide. His account contradicted his initial statements to police, when he claimed she had left home and might have travelled to New York or Texas.

Prosecutors, however, argued that Bhatt killed Mamta on or around July 30, 2024, dismembered her body and disposed of the remains in rubbish bags across Northern Virginia.

During the trial, prosecutors presented forensic evidence, surveillance footage, phone records and digital searches to support their case.

Investigators found reddish-brown stains and hair-like strands on a power saw that prosecutors said Bhatt had purchased from a Home Depot store in June 2024. DNA testing found that samples from the saw, including swabs from inside it, were consistent with Mamta’s DNA profile.

Forensic scientists also testified that DNA from a stained section of the couple’s bedroom carpet strongly supported Mamta and the couple’s daughter as contributors to a DNA mixture. However, the defence argued that the evidence could not establish how the blood got there.

Prosecutors also presented surveillance footage showing Bhatt buying rubbish bags and cleaning supplies in the days surrounding Mamta’s disappearance. Phone and vehicle records were used to trace his movements, including trips to rubbish compactors.

The jury also heard testimony about the couple’s troubled marriage. Mamta’s brother, Mahesh Kafle, told the court that his sister had sent him a photograph showing what appeared to be a facial injury and had said she felt unsafe. Friends and other witnesses also testified about tensions between the couple.

Bhatt, meanwhile, acknowledged during cross-examination that he had lied to Mamta’s relatives, friends, neighbours and police about what had happened to her.

During the reading of Tuesday’s verdict, Bhatt remained expressionless and briefly spoke with his attorney, CNN reported.

Members of Mamta’s family were seen embracing after the verdict, with one thanking a prosecutor.

Bhatt faces a sentence of 20 years to life in prison for first-degree murder, along with up to five years for each of the two charges related to concealing and defiling the body under Virginia law. His sentencing is scheduled for March 12. The judge revoked his bond following the verdict.

“This verdict represents an important measure of justice for Mamta Kafle Bhatt, whose life was tragically taken and whose family has endured more than two years of unimaginable pain and uncertainty,” Amy Ashworth, the Commonwealth’s attorney for Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, said in a statement.

Ashworth said she hoped the verdict would help the family move forward, knowing that Mamta’s life mattered, her story had been heard and the person responsible had been held accountable.

The case had drawn considerable attention among Nepalis in the United States and in Nepal since Mamta, a nurse originally from Nepal, disappeared in July 2024.

Her disappearance was reported after she stopped attending work and could no longer be contacted. Bhatt initially told investigators that she had left their home, but police later arrested him as evidence of her death and the disposal of her body emerged.

Despite Bhatt’s admission that he had dismembered and disposed of her body, investigators have not recovered her remains.