A former University of South Florida student has been charged with killing his roommate and the roommate’s girlfriend — two doctoral students from Bangladesh who disappeared earlier this month, authorities said Saturday.
Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon in the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. He made an initial court appearance Saturday in Tampa and was ordered held without bond; a hearing is set for April 28.
Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, while Bristy remains missing, Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said Friday. An autopsy is being performed to determine the manner and cause of Limon’s death, with results expected Saturday morning, Maurer said.
Abugharbieh, a U.S.-born citizen, was taken into custody Friday at his family’s home on preliminary charges including unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment and battery. Officers responding to a domestic violence report at the home moved relatives to safety; Abugharbieh then barricaded himself inside. A SWAT team, drone, robot and crisis negotiators responded before he emerged with his hands up, reportedly wearing only a blue towel. Online court records do not list an attorney for him; messages were sent to the public defender’s office.
Limon and Bristy, both 27 and reportedly considering marriage, disappeared from campus on April 16. Limon was last seen at his off‑campus apartment, where he lived with Abugharbieh; Bristy, who lived off campus, was last seen about an hour later at a campus science building.
Abugharbieh had previously attended USF from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023 pursuing a BS in Management but was not currently enrolled, a university spokesperson said. Limon studied geography, environmental science and policy; Bristy studied chemical engineering and was a Ph.D. candidate and graduate of Noakhali Science and Technology University. That school, which spells her name Brishti, said Saturday that her sudden passing has deeply saddened the community and called for punishment for those involved and compensation for the family. Vice Chancellor Mohammad Ismail offered respect to her memory.
The search for Bristy continues. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said Abugharbieh has prior arrests, including a September 2023 charge of battery and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and a battery charge in May 2023, both misdemeanors. He entered a diversion program for first‑time misdemeanor offenders and completed it in 2024, after which those charges were discontinued. 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. He was also accused of traffic violations.