A former student from the University of South Florida has been formally charged with the murder of his roommate and the roommate’s girlfriend, both of whom were doctoral students from Bangladesh. The pair vanished earlier this month, as reported by authorities on Saturday.
Hisham Abugharbieh, aged 26, faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder involving a weapon for the deaths of USF students Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities discovered Limon’s body on the Howard Frankland Bridge on Friday morning, while Bristy remains missing, stated Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer.
Abugharbieh, an American by birth, was initially detained on Friday at his family residence on several preliminary charges. These include the illegal transport of a corpse, failing to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment, and battery.
Police encountered Abugharbieh when responding to a domestic violence report at his family’s home, situated just north of the USF campus. After ensuring his family’s safety, Abugharbieh barricaded himself inside the house. A SWAT team, equipped with a drone, a robot, and crisis negotiators, eventually coaxed him out, at which point he surrendered, reportedly clad only in a blue towel.
Both Limon and Bristy, aged 27, were contemplating marriage, according to a family member. They were last seen on April 16, with Limon disappearing from his off-campus apartment where he lived with Abugharbieh. Bristy was last observed an hour later in 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.
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