28-year-old mother ‘involuntarily’ missing for 2 weeks, police say

(NEW YORK) — A 28-year-old mother has been missing for two weeks under what police in Virginia said are believed to be “involuntary” circumstances.

Mamta Kafle was last seen on July 31 in Manassas Park, Virginia, about 30 miles outside of Washington, D.C, the Manassas Park Police Department said. She hasn’t had any contact with family or friends since then, police said.

Authorities said they believe Kafle is “involuntarily” missing, citing the length of time since she’s been seen.

“Investigators have conducted several follow-ups with neighbors, friends, co-workers and the husband,” police said in a statement. “The investigators are also utilizing several investigative tools to help in an attempt to locate Mamta Kafle.”

Manassas Park police gave a detailed timeline of the investigation on Thursday while asking for the public’s help in locating her.

Kafle, a registered nurse at a hospital, was last seen at work on July 27, police said. She spoke to a friend on July 28 and was last seen by her husband on July 31, police said.

Officers responded to their home on Aug. 2 to conduct a welfare check, police said. They had received the request to conduct a welfare check from her employer, Washington ABC affiliate WJLA reported. Her husband provided information but did not want to report her missing at that time, police said.

Three days later, on Aug. 5, her husband contacted police and reported her missing and she was entered as missing with Virginia State Police, police said.

Over the next several days, “detectives conducted an extensive investigation and found that there was a significant lack of recent contact by Mamta with her family, friends, employer and on social media postings,” police said.

At that point, detectives were able to elevate her missing person status to an involuntary/critical missing person and “additional resources have been afforded to this investigation,” said police, who subsequently released a missing person flyer to the public on Aug. 8.

Her friend and former colleague, Sunita Basnet Thapa, told WJLA the two bonded over both being from Nepal, and that she was a mentor to Kafle. She attended an event Tuesday in Manassas Park to raise awareness about Kafle’s disappearance and press for updates.

Basnet Thapa told WJLA they have “no clue what is going on,” adding that she has been waiting for news for 14 days.

The case remains active, police said.

“The husband, friends, and co-workers have all been cooperative throughout the investigation and detectives will continue to follow up on all investigative leads to locate Mamta Kafle,” the Manassas Park Police Department said Thursday.

Kafle’s friend, Nadia Navarro, who organized Tuesday’s gathering, told WJLA that it is unlike the mother to leave her 11-month-old daughter.

“Even if she was desperate, even if she might have been facing something, she wouldn’t have left her daughter,” Navarro told WJLA. “She was very self-sacrificial that way, no matter what would have been happening.”

ABC News was unable to reach Kafle’s family.

Her husband spoke to a crowd gathered in support of Kafle on Monday by phone, saying that he couldn’t attend because he was caring for their daughter, according to WRC.

“I need to find her as soon as possible, and then using all the tools — community, society, police,” he told the crowd.

Friends are planning to hold a search for Kafle on Thursday afternoon.

Kafle is 5 feet tall, weighs 132 pounds and has black hair and dark brown eyes, police said. She was last seen wearing blue scrubs, police said.

Police urge anyone with information to call the Manassas Park Police Department at 703-361-1136 or submit an anonymous tip to Manassas/Manassas Park Crime Solvers at 703-330-0330.

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