HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (TCN) — A 26-year-old man is facing first-degree murder charges in connection with the deaths of two missing University of South Florida graduate students.
On April 25, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced that 26-year-old Hisham Abugharbieh was charged with murders in the death of his roommate, Zamil Limon, and Limon’s girlfriend, Nahida Bristy, both 27. Limon’s body was found on April 24 and Abugharbieh was arrested in connection with the pair’s deaths.
Limon and Bristy were reported missing on April 16. During the missing persons investigation, authorities learned that Limon and Abugharbieh were off-campus roommates. Limon was a graduate student at the University of South Florida and Abugharbieh had been a student there previously, The Guardian reports.
Investigators interviewed a witness who alleged he saw the suspect moving a box to the dumpster on April 17. When the dumpster was searched, authorities found several items belonging to Limon, according to NBC News. A pink iPhone case and glasses, reportedly belonging to Bristy, were also recovered, according to the New York Post.
Abugharbieh was arrested April 24 after deputies were called to his residence for an unrelated domestic matter, according to the sheriff’s office. When authorities arrived, Abugharbieh allegedly barricaded himself inside despite numerous commands to comply. About an hour and a half later, after specialized units were activated and negotiations took place, he was taken into custody. The New York Post reports the suspect was wearing only a towel when he was arrested.
On April 24, Limon’s naked body was found under a bridge in Tampa Bay, Florida, according to Oxygen True Crime. Additional remains were found in the waterway on April 26, but the sheriff’s office has not confirmed if they belong to Bristy. Oxygen reports the sheriff’s office said, “To protect the integrity of the investigation, we will not comment further than what has been released.”
On April 25, a motion was filed to keep Abugharbieh jailed while awaiting trial, according to NBC News. Court documents obtained by the outlet allege that he asked ChatGPT, “What happens if a human has a put in a black garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster,” on April 13, three days before the victims were last seen. ChatGPT reportedly responded that it sounded dangerous, and Abugharbieh allegedly followed up by asking, “How would they find out.”
Other questions he allegedly asked ChatGPT include whether one can change a car’s VIN number and whether one can keep a gun at home without a license, per the New York Post.
The Guardian reports prosecutors say Abugharbieh allegedly ordered duct tape on April 7; on April 11 he allegedly ordered trash bags, fire starter, lighter fluid, and charcoal.
According to NBC, both victims were from Bangladesh. The New York Post reports they had recently discussed getting married. Per NBC, their families released a joint statement on April 26 saying they wanted “the bodies of Zamil and Bristy [to] be handled in accordance with Islamic rituals and funeral requirements.”
According to the New York Post, Limon was studying environmental science and was supposed to present his thesis during the week he disappeared. He had reportedly told family members not to call him unless it was an emergency. Bristy was studying chemical engineering; the school described her as talented and promising.
In addition to first-degree murder, according to the sheriff’s office, Abugharbieh is facing charges of unlawfully holding or moving a dead human body in unapproved conditions, failure to report death to medical examiner or law enforcement, evidence tampering, false imprisonment, and battery.
The Guardian reports that Abugharbieh is being held without bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 28.
The investigation is active.
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