A man in Vermont has been accused of beating his wife to death with a large flashlight in front of their two children and a friend during the kids’ sleepover.
Bal Khadka was arrested on Saturday, October 10, after police responded to the family’s apartment in Burlington around 6 a.m. Upon their arrival, officers found Bal’s wife, Lila Khadka, unresponsive in bed with severe head injuries, according to WCAX.
Lila was then transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center, and she died on the evening of Sunday, October 11.
Bal, 44, appeared in court on Tuesday, October 13, and pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, according to WCAX.
The couple’s daughters, who are 3 and 10 years old, were home at the time, while a 10-year-old friend who was spending the night also witnessed the alleged attack.
The children spoke to investigators following the incident and claimed that Bal had been using drugs and accusing his wife of infidelity prior to the attack, according to court documents viewed by WCAX.
As the attack escalated, one of the children started recording audio of the incident on a phone. “The audio recording is one of the worst things I think I’ve ever heard,” Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George told WCAX.
George added that Lila’s death was disturbing. “I’m not sure tragedy even covers it. Just really, really horrific,” she said.
“The fact that this was done in front of his own 3-year-old and 10-year-old and then another 10-year-old — the lasting impacts that this will have on them and just the callous nature of doing it in front of children certainly, from the state’s perspective, is an aggravating factor,” George added.
Bal has a history of legal issues, and he was previously convicted of several offenses including violating an abuse prevention order, violating conditions of release and driving under the influence, per WCAX.
The children also claimed to police that Bal had tried to kill their mother on previous occasions.
“At least one of the previous cases, Lila did not want to participate in the prosecution. And the state cannot prove cases without witnesses and victims testifying,” George said.
When Bal was initially arrested, he was charged with attempted murder. However, the charge was upgraded after his wife died.
Bal is currently being held at Northwest State Correctional Facility without bail, and his children are now staying with family members.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
