HANOVER COUNTY, Va. -- The weapon used to kill a 30-year old Mechanicsville woman was found wrapped in the clothes her husband wore the night she was killed, Hanover prosecutors said in court Thursday. They did not disclose the murder weapon.
Reena Jadav's body was found lying in a yard in the early morning hours of September 5, and the medical examiner's office determined she died of blunt force trauma.
Jadav's husband, Harshadkumar Jadav, was charged with first-degree murder in connection to her death.
Thursday, a judge denied the 33-year-old man bond.
Jadav cried softly, his head down, throughout the brief hearing.
The computer programmer, who worked from home, was carrying $10,000 cash and his passport when he was arrested Sept. 12, prosecutors said in court.
They argued it was proof that Jadav would be a flight risk if released on bond.
Jadav's attorney said in court his client had been "cooperative" with investigators since his arrest. The defense argued that the cash was intended to pay for legal counsel and that any DNA evidence found on clothing would not tell the entire story since the couple was married and lived together.
"Our family is extremely happy to hear that bond was denied this afternoon," said Gaurav "G" Shrestha, Reena Jadav's brother, in an email to CBS 6.
Given the brutality of Reena’s death, this has been tough on all of us and I imagine it will continue to be tough given the trial in the months ahead. We are extremely grateful for all the love and support we continue to receive from family, friends, colleagues, and the community. We are hopeful that Reena will get the full justice she deserves. While we cannot bring back Reena’s cheerful spirit and infectious laughter, we have the memories we shared over the past 30 years. She will always stay within our hearts and in our memory….no one can take that away from us and those whose lives she has touched.
Reena Jadav was beaten to death with a blunt object, prosecutors said. While the physical evidence in the case is under review at the state forensics lab, CBS 6 legal analyst Todd Stone said he expects investigators are looking for more.
"I would expect they will be looking at his cell phone and where he was geographically, especially at the time the neighbors heard the screams," Stone said.
Neighbors in the Honey Meadow neighborhood reported hearing someone scream the night of Sept.5.
Jadav will appear in court again for a preliminary hearing, on December 15.
