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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Authorities have charged 26-year-old Hisham Abugharbieh with two counts of first-degree murder following his arrest on Friday. He is the prime suspect in the case of two missing students from the University of South Florida.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office revealed this crucial update early Saturday morning, just hours ahead of Abugharbieh’s initial court appearance.
The body of one missing student, Zamil Limon, 27, was discovered Friday morning on the Howard Frankland Bridge. Authorities are still searching for the other student, 27-year-old Nahida Bristy.
The sheriff’s office said that additional evidence was presented to the State Attorney’s Office that led to the murder charges. Law enforcement will not be sharing details on that evidence to protect the “integrity of the investigation.”
Along with two counts of premeditated murder with a weapon, Abugharbieh is charged with unlawfully holding or moving a dead body, failure to report a death to law enforcement, tampering with physical evidence, false imprisonment, and battery.