The remains of a 27-year-old University of South Florida doctoral student missing for more than a week have been identified, authorities announced May 1.
Nahida Bristy’s body was located Tuesday, April 26 in the Tampa Bay area near Interstate 275 and Fourth St. North, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators conducted an extensive search of the area after the remains of fellow USF doctoral student Zamil Limon were located the morning of April 24 on the nearby Howard Frankland Bridge.
The two students were last seen April 16 and were reported missing April 17.
Limon’s roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, was arrested the day Limon’s decomposing body was found in black trash bags. Abugharbieh was charged April 25 with two counts of premeditated murder in the first degree with a weapon.
The charges came before Bristy’s body was found. In court documents filed over the weekend, authorities said there is essentially no “probability Nahida Bristy remains alive.”
Limon’s death was because of “multiple sharp force injuries,” the Pinellas County Medical Examiner ruled.
Who is Hisham Abugharbieh, the suspect in the death of two USF students?
Abugharbieh is a 26-year-old American citizen who lived with Limon in an apartment about a mile from the USF campus.
It’s not clear how long they lived together or how long they knew each other. Limon and Bristy had been described as friends and even a couple, but it’s not known the relationship between Abugharbieh and Bristy.
During the investigation, Abugharbieh’s mother told authorities her son was known to “struggle with managing his anger and was violent with family in the past.” He does have a criminal record including a 2023 charge of battery and burglary. Also that year, a relative filed two domestic petitions against him.
Abugharbieh is not currently a USF student or employee, but he was enrolled in classes at the university from 2021 to 2023. A spokesman for the university said he was studying to get a bachelor’s in management.
In the days before the murders occurred, Abugharbieh ordered supplies including duct tape and lighter fluid off Amazon and searched for ways to dispose of bodies, according to court records. He asked ChatGPT what happens if a human is “put in a black garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster.”
He was arrested at his family’s home, which is near Tampa in the city of Lutz. Authorities went to the home after receiving a domestic dispute call.
Family members were able to safely get out of the home. The SWAT team was called in to get Abugharbieh out. He emerged with his hands raised, shirtless and a towel around his waist.
Who were Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon, the two murdered USF doctoral students?
Zamil Limon was pursuing a degree in geography, environmental science and policy and was days away from presenting his thesis. Bristy was studying chemical engineering and lived and worked on campus.
They were described as a couple by the suspect, however, family members have said they were focused on their studies. Relatives also said it was unusual for Limon and Bristy to go days without communicating with loved ones.
Both reportedly had summer trips planned to Bangladesh.
Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Human remains identified as missing USF doctoral student Nahida Bristy
Reporting by Michelle Spitzer, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
