Body Found on Howard Frankland Bridge Identified as USF Student Zamil Limon; Hisham Abugharbieh Charged While Search for Nahida Bristy Continues

In Tampa, Florida, authorities have charged a former student from the University of South Florida with the murder of his roommate and the roommate’s girlfriend, both doctoral candidates from Bangladesh who vanished earlier this month.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced that 26-year-old Hisham Abugharbieh is facing two counts of first-degree premeditated murder involving a weapon in connection with the deaths of USF students Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy.

Authorities discovered Limon’s remains on the Howard Frankland Bridge on Friday morning, but Bristy remains missing, according to Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer.

Abugharbieh, a U.S. citizen by birth, was initially arrested at his family’s residence on Friday. His preliminary charges included illegally moving a body, failing to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment, and battery.

Police encountered Abugharbieh during a domestic violence call at his family home, located just north of the university campus. After safely relocating his relatives, Abugharbieh barricaded himself inside. A SWAT team, equipped with a drone, a robot, and crisis negotiators, was deployed to the scene. Abugharbieh eventually surrendered, stepping outside wrapped in only a blue towel.

Limon and Bristy, both 27, were considering getting married, a relative said. They disappeared from campus on April 16. Limon was last seen at his home in an off-campus apartment complex where he lived with Abugharbieh. Bristy, who lived on campus, was last seen an hour later at a campus science building.

An autopsy is being done on the remains to determine the manner and cause of Limon’s death, and those results are expected Saturday morning, Maurer said Friday.

Abugharbieh had been a USF student but was not currently enrolled. University records showed he had attended the school from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023, and had pursued a BS in Management, a university spokesperson said.

Limon was studying geography, environmental science and policy, and Bristy was studying chemical engineering. She was a graduate of Noakhali Science and Technology University. The school, which spelled her last name as Brishti, said in a statement Saturday that she was a Ph.D. candidate and described her as a talented and promising student.

“Her sudden passing has deeply saddened all of us,” Vice Chancellor Mohammad Ismail said. “The university family pays deep respect to her memory. At the same time, we demand punishment for those involved in her death and compensation for the victim’s family.”

The search for Bristy continues. Anyone with information regarding her disappearance is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Abugharbieh had several previous arrests, the sheriff’s office said. He was charged with battery and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling in September 2023, and with battery that May – both classified in court records as misdemeanors.

Court records show Abugharbieh entered into a diversion program for first-time offenders charged with misdemeanors. He completed the program in 2024 and the charges were discontinued. A phone call to his lawyer in that case was not immediately returned.

Hillsborough County Court records also showed two domestic violence petitions filed by a family member in 2023. A judge granted an injunction in one case and denied the other petition. He also was accused of traffic violations.