Roommate Charged With Two Counts Of Murder In USF Doctoral Students Case
Hillsborough County prosecutors this week charged a roommate, 26-year-old Hisham Abugharbieh, with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder in the deaths of two University of South Florida doctoral students.
The victims have been identified as 27-year-olds Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both from Bangladesh. Authorities say one body was recovered and positively identified as Limon, while Bristy remains missing and investigators continue to search for her. Police say the person arrested was a roommate of the students, identified as 26-year-old Hisham Abugharbieh; he faces two first-degree premeditated murder counts and related charges including domestic violence and evidence tampering.
The episode traces back to April 16, when Limon was last seen at his Tampa apartment and Bristy was last seen on the USF Tampa campus. Family and friends say the disappearances were out of character; both had regular daily contact, flights booked for summer, and plans to build a future together. Abugharbieh attended USF from 2021 to 2023 and records show he faced battery and burglary charges and some family domestic-violence petitions in 2023, with hints he entered a diversion program.
Early reports treated the case as a missing persons investigation, focusing on searches across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Coverage shifted after law-enforcement activity in the Lake Forest neighborhood, a body found near the Howard Frankland Bridge, and prosecutors filing murder charges, a change documented by CBS and Fox.
The case has drawn sharp reaction from the Bangladeshi student community demanding a transparent trial and maximum penalties for those responsible. Florida last year recorded about 220 domestic-violence homicides, roughly one in five homicides, a statistic that adds context to concerns about prior warning signs; USF enrolls students from nearly 140 countries, with international students making up about 10 percent of enrollment.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2025, 220 individuals died from domestic violence homicides in Florida, representing approximately 20% of all homicides in the state.
Domestic Violence Annual Report 2025 — Florida Department of Children and Families
Approximately 10% of the University of South Florida's enrollment consists of international students, representing nearly 140 different countries.
USF solidifies its standing as top Florida destination for international students — University of South Florida
📌 Key Facts
- Two University of South Florida doctoral students, Zamil Limon (27) and Nahida Bristy (27), both from Bangladesh, were last seen April 16; Limon was last seen about 9 a.m. at his Tampa residence and Bristy about 10 a.m. on the USF Tampa campus.
- A family friend contacted police after being unable to reach the couple; investigators elevated both students to ‘endangered’ and said neither had been seen since April 16.
- A barricade and law-enforcement operation in the Lake Forest community led to the arrest of a person connected to the case; that person was identified as 26-year-old roommate Hisham Abugharbieh and taken into custody.
- Hisham Abugharbieh has been charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon and also faces additional counts including domestic violence, evidence tampering, failure to report a death and other body-handling/evidence-related charges.
- One of the students, Zamil Limon, was found dead; his remains were positively identified near the Howard Frankland Bridge.
- Authorities are still searching for Nahida Bristy’s remains across multiple locations in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties; investigators told her family she is likely dead based on the volume of blood found in the shared residence and said her body may have been dismembered.
- Hillsborough County investigators said they presented evidence to the State Attorney’s Office that led to the murder charges, briefly closed neighborhood entrances/exits during operations, and have asked the public to provide tips as searches continue.
- Family, friends and colleagues described the disappearances as highly unusual and out of character; Limon studied AI in environmental science and was scheduled to present his doctoral thesis, Bristy was a chemical engineering doctoral student, and the couple had flights booked to Bangladesh for the summer.
📰 Source Timeline (11)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office states that evidence has been presented to the State Attorney's Office, which resulted in two additional counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon against Hisham Abugharbieh.
- Sheriff's statement confirms Abugharbieh is now formally facing two counts of first-degree premeditated murder in the deaths of both Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, on top of earlier body-handling and evidence-tampering charges.
- Article reiterates that Limon's remains were positively identified near the Howard Frankland Bridge and that the search for Bristy continues, with authorities urging the public to provide tips.
- CBS reiterates that a 26-year-old man is now facing murder charges connected to the disappearance of two USF doctoral students.
- Confirms that one student has been found dead while police are still actively searching for the other.
- Reaffirms that authorities publicly described the case as involving murder charges tied to the students' disappearance.
- Hillsborough County officials have now charged roommate Hisham Abugharbieh with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon.
- Authorities told the family of missing doctoral student Nahida Bristy that she is likely dead based on the volume of blood found in the shared residence, and they believe her body may have been dismembered.
- Abugharbieh also faces charges of domestic violence, evidence tampering, and failure to report a death, in addition to the murder counts.
- Investigators are still actively searching for Bristy's remains while Limon's cause of death awaits autopsy results.
- CBS specifies that the body was found along a major bridge.
- The report reiterates that the victim is one of two missing doctoral students and that the victim's roommate is under arrest.
- Confirms the timing that the students had been missing for more than a week before the body was found.
- Police say one of the two missing University of South Florida doctoral students has been found dead.
- Authorities state that a roommate of the students has been arrested and taken into custody.
- The arrest links the person in custody directly to the victim as a roommate, clarifying their relationship.
- Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office closed the entrance and exit of the Lake Forest community on Friday for an operation tied to the missing USF students.
- A barricaded person linked to the disappearance of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy was taken into custody after the neighborhood lockdown.
- Authorities report that one body has been found in connection with the disappearance of the two doctoral students, with further details to be given at a news conference.
- Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says a person connected to the disappearance is in custody after a barricade at a home in the Lake Forest Community near USF.
- Officials state the person in custody is not one of the missing students and decline to say if they are a suspect.
- The sheriff's office briefly shut down the entrance and exit of the Lake Forest Community due to law enforcement activity.
- HCSO elevated the status of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy to endangered on Thursday based on newly developed information, without detailing that information.
- Confirms both students, 27-year-olds Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, were last seen April 16 on the USF Tampa campus, one at a student apartment and one at a campus science building.
- States that a family friend first contacted authorities on Friday after being unable to reach the couple.
- USF police spokesman Larry McKinnon says investigators do not believe the pair were detained by federal immigration officers.
- Adds details on Limon's research using generative AI to study Florida wetlands and notes the couple had discussed marriage but were focused on completing their degrees.
- CBS video piece confirms families have now spoken publicly on camera and stress that the disappearances are 'very unusual' for both students.
- Reiterates Tampa police are actively searching and that neither student has been seen since April 16.
- Adds visual and emotional context from family interviews but no new concrete investigative details beyond prior timeline reporting.
- Names of the missing students are Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27, and both from Bangladesh.
- USF Police specify last known times and places: Limon last seen around 9 a.m. April 16 at his Tampa residence; Bristy last seen about 10 a.m. April 16 on the USF Tampa campus.
- Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says detectives are actively following leads and conducting searches in multiple locations across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
- Limon studies AI in environmental science and was scheduled to present his doctoral thesis this week; Bristy is a chemical engineering doctoral student.
- Family and friends describe daily contact patterns, say both already had flights booked to Bangladesh for summer break, and call the disappearances "extremely suspicious" and out of character.
- A lab friend says Limon had put "work from home" on a shared Outlook calendar for the day they vanished, and relatives say the pair had discussed a future together but prioritized studies.