Landscaper recounts day murder suspect gave him a saw

A saw given to a landscaper became a key piece of evidence in the murder trial of Naresh Bhatt, who is suspected of murdering his wife and dismembering and disposing of her body.MANASSAS, Va. (CN) — On an August day in 2024, Jose Ayala sat in his truck mulling the astounding news: Naresh Bhatt was in jail on charges connected to the disappearance of his wife, 28-year-old Mamta Kafle Bhatt.Ayala had recently agreed to cut the grass at the Bhatts’ Manassas Park home, and the landscaper had a favorable impression of him. Bhatt had given Ayala a saw. But with Bhatt behind bars, Ayala wondered what he should do with it.Now Bhatt, 39, is on trial in Prince William County, Virginia, Circuit Court, charged with murder, defiling a body and concealing a body. He has pleaded not guilty. On Wednesday, the 10th day of Bhatt’s trial, the landscaper took the stand as a witness for the prosecution.The saw, which Ayala eventually turned over to police, is a key piece of evidence. Mamta Bhatt’s body was never found, and prosecutors are attempting to convince a jury that Naresh Bhatt killed his wife and tossed heavy-duty bags containing her dismembered remains in trash compactors around the suburbs of northern Virginia. To that end, attorneys for the government have argued that blood was found in the casing of the saw. They are still presenting evidence needed to back up this theory.Testifying with the help of an interpreter, Ayala recalled how he was working on the Bhatts’ yard when he noticed Naresh Bhatt improperly attempting to use the saw. “I thought that he was doing it in an erratic fashion and since I always like to talk to all the clients that I have, I went up to him,” Ayala said, and showed him how to use the saw.Naresh Bhatt then made an offer. “He said he had the money to pay that day, but if I wanted, he could give me the saw in exchange for the work that day,” Ayala testified.Later, Ayala couldn’t believe it when he heard Naresh Bhatt was in jail. “Seriously?” he remembered saying. “I mean, the gentleman looks very friendly.”Stunned, he finished his work and returned to his truck. The saw was there in the cabin. For two weeks, Ayala pondered what to do about the saw. He discussed the matter with others.“Everybody, actually, kept telling me that I should just throw it away, throw it in the trash. I was going to get in trouble,” he remembered. “I didn’t want to carry that in my mind. Probably it could be something, or probably it could be nothing. But just to be fine with me and my conscience, I decided to go to the police and tell them that I had the saw.”Earlier in the day, jurors also watched video recordings from a security camera near an apartment where the couple’s babysitter lives. Driving a Tesla, Naresh Bhatt arrived, got out of the car, put on gloves, took bags of various sizes out of his car and walked to a dumpster. After hoisting the bags into the dumpster, he drove away.The prosecution’s case could extend three more weeks, although Judge Kimberly Irving urged attorneys to streamline their presentationSubscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads