TAMPA, Fla. — A tragic turn in the search for two missing University of South Florida doctoral students has left the community reeling after one was found dead on a Tampa Bay bridge and their roommate was charged with their murders. Zamil Limon, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi researcher, was discovered on the Howard Frankland Bridge on Friday, prompting authorities to arrest 26-year-old Hisham Abugharbieh, who lived with the victims and now faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced the charges on Saturday, stating that evidence led to Abugharbieh's indictment in the deaths of Limon and his fellow student, Nahida Bristy, also 27 and from Bangladesh. Bristy remains missing, though investigators have informed her family that they believe she may also be deceased, based on significant blood evidence found in the shared apartment. 'Evidence was presented to the State Attorney’s Office, resulting in further charges against Abugharbieh. At this time, the search for Bristy continues,' the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Limon's body was recovered Friday afternoon from the waters near the Howard Frankland Bridge, a major span connecting Tampa to St. Petersburg across Tampa Bay. Marine and dive teams from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office were observed searching the area for Bristy that same day, but no further discoveries have been reported. A medical examiner is still working to determine Limon’s exact cause of death, with Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer indicating that autopsy results could be released over the weekend.
The case unfolded rapidly after Limon and Bristy were reported missing on April 17 by a family friend. They were last seen the day before: Limon around 9 a.m. at his off-campus apartment, just three blocks from USF's campus, and Bristy about an hour later at the Natural and Environmental Sciences Building on campus. Both had enrolled in doctoral programs last fall—Limon in geography, environmental science and policy, and Bristy in chemical engineering.
Abugharbieh, a former USF student who pursued a bachelor’s degree in management from 2021 to 2023, was arrested Friday morning following a reported domestic violence incident at his family’s home. According to Maurer, law enforcement had interviewed Abugharbieh at least twice prior to the arrest; he initially cooperated but ceased during a Thursday questioning session. By Friday, investigators linked him directly to Limon’s body and the case.
The arrest was dramatic: Abugharbieh barricaded himself inside the home, necessitating a SWAT team and crisis negotiators. Video footage captured an armored vehicle in the front yard as he emerged with hands raised, a bath towel around his waist. The location was his family’s residence, where a judge had previously barred him due to domestic violence allegations from his brother.
In addition to the murder charges, Abugharbieh faces accusations of unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death with intent to conceal, tampering with physical evidence, false imprisonment, and battery. Court records show he was arrested twice in 2023 on battery charges, both later dropped. However, after one incident, his brother sought and initially obtained an injunction prohibiting Abugharbieh from approaching him or the home, alleging an attack on him and their mother during an argument over Abugharbieh's refusal to leave.
The brother’s request to extend the injunction last May was denied, despite his plea not to 'run the risk of him returning.' Bristy’s brother, speaking to CNN affiliate WTSP, relayed that investigators had called the family in Bangladesh about the blood evidence in the apartment, heightening fears for her safety. CNN has reached out to the family and sheriff’s office for more details, but no further updates were immediately available.
Limon’s family described him as a joyful and promising young man, deeply invested in his research on using generative AI to monitor shrinking wetlands in South Florida. His brother, Zubaer Ahmed, told CNN that Limon had been working on his thesis for two years and planned to return to Bangladesh after his PhD to become a university professor. 'My brother is very decent and a very simple person,' Ahmed said. 'He always put a smile on his face.'
Ahmed also shared that Limon had spoken fondly of Bristy, whom he was courting and with whom he had discussed marriage. 'He shared that she is a good girl, and she has a lot of talent, like she can sing and cook well,' Ahmed recounted. Before Limon’s body was found, Ahmed expressed the family’s anguish: 'It’s devastating for us. We are becoming numb. Anything could be possible. We just want to know the truth or what happened to them. It’s not possible that two students disappear out of nowhere.'
The disappearance prompted widespread concern, with USF police and detectives pursuing leads across multiple locations. On Thursday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office upgraded the students’ status to 'endangered' based on new information. University President Moez Limayem addressed the campus in a message to faculty and students, vowing continued support for the families. 'Please join me in praying for the families and friends of Zamil, and for the safe return of Nahida,' Limayem wrote.
Sheriff Chad Chronister described the incident as profoundly unsettling. 'This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution,' he said in a Friday statement. The university spokesperson confirmed Abugharbieh’s past enrollment but provided no further details on his relationship with the victims beyond their shared living situation.
As the search for Bristy persists and the investigation deepens, questions linger about the motive behind the alleged crimes. Authorities have not publicly disclosed a specific reason, but the domestic violence history and the students’ close ties suggest a complex personal dynamic. The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office has been presented with evidence, and additional charges could follow as forensic analysis continues.
The loss has reverberated through USF’s international student community, particularly among those from Bangladesh, highlighting the vulnerabilities faced by young scholars far from home. Friends and relatives in Florida and abroad had been actively seeking answers in the days leading up to the grim discoveries. Limon’s family, still grappling with the news, emphasized his dedication and optimism, underscoring the profound impact of his death.
With Bristy’s fate uncertain and Abugharbieh in custody awaiting arraignment, Tampa Bay area residents and the academic world await further developments. The sheriff’s office continues its efforts in the water and on land, while counseling services have been made available at USF. This heartbreaking saga serves as a stark reminder of the unforeseen dangers that can befall even the most promising lives, leaving a void in the lives of those who knew Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy.