Roommate Charged With Murder In Disappearance, Death Of 2 USF Grad Students

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A former University of South Florida student has been accused of murdering his roommate and the roommate’s girlfriend, both doctoral students from Bangladesh who went missing earlier this month, authorities announced on Saturday.

Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, is facing charges of premeditated murder in the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, students at USF, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Nahida Bristy, left, and Zamil Limon were considering getting married before they were killed.

Distributed by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

Limon’s remains were discovered on the Howard Frankland bridge on Friday morning, while Bristy is still missing, confirmed Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer on Friday.

Abugharbieh, a U.S. citizen by birth, was initially apprehended on Friday at his family’s residence on preliminary charges that included unlawfully moving a deceased body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment, and battery.

Authorities found Abugharbieh during a response to a domestic violence report at his family’s residence near the campus. After ensuring the safety of his relatives, he barricaded himself inside and refused to surrender. A SWAT team, along with a drone, a robot, and crisis negotiators, were deployed before Abugharbieh eventually surrendered, clad only in a blue towel.

Limon and Bristy, both 27, were planning to marry, according to a family member. They went missing from the campus on April 16. Limon was last seen at their off-campus apartment where he resided with Abugharbieh, while Bristy, a resident on campus, was last seen at a science building an hour later.

Detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office join an investigation inside the Lake Forest subdivision of Tampa, Florida, on Friday, April 24, 2026, where authorities said a man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home, in connection to the search for two missing University of South Florida graduate students. — Detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office join an investigation inside the Lake Forest subdivision of Tampa, Florida, on Friday, April 24, 2026, where authorities said a man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home, in connection to the search for two missing University of South Florida graduate students.

An autopsy will determine the cause and manner of Limon’s death, with results expected on Saturday morning, stated Maurer on Friday.

Abugharbieh had previously been a student at USF but was not currently enrolled. University records indicate he attended from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023, pursuing a BS in Management, according to a university spokesperson.

Limon was studying geography, environmental science, and policy, while Bristy was studying chemical engineering. She had graduated from Noakhali Science and Technology University. The institution, referring to her as Brishti, revealed she was a Ph.D. candidate and praised her as a talented and promising student.

“Her unexpected loss has deeply grieved us all,” expressed Vice Chancellor Mohammad Ismail. “The university community honors her memory and seeks justice for those responsible for her demise, along with compensation for her family.”

The search for Bristy is ongoing, and individuals with information on her whereabouts are urged to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office reported several prior arrests of Abugharbieh. He faced charges of battery and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling in September 2023, as well as battery in May of the same year, categorized as misdemeanors in court records.

Court documents reveal that Abugharbieh participated in a diversion program for first-time offenders charged with misdemeanors. He successfully completed the program in 2024, resulting in the discontinuation of the charges. A call to his attorney in that case went unanswered.

Hillsborough County Court records also show two domestic violence petitions filed by a family member in 2023, with one resulting in an injunction and the other being denied. Additionally, he was cited for traffic violations.