A 26-year-old man has been officially charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder in connection with the deaths of two Bangladeshi PhD students at the University of South Florida (USF).
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office announced the charges against Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh, who was the off-campus roommate of one of the victims.
The deceased, Zamil Limon and Nahida Sultana Bristy, both 27, were promising scholars whose disappearance last week sparked an intensive search.
The investigation began after a family friend reported the pair missing on April 17. Limon was last seen at his apartment, while Bristy, a campus resident, was last spotted at a university research facility.
The search took a grim turn on Friday when Limon’s body was recovered from the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa.
While authorities are still searching for Bristy’s remains, the Sheriff’s Office stated that the evidence gathered so far was sufficient to charge Abugharbieh with her murder as well.
A family member confirmed her death on Saturday, although official verification of the body's recovery is pending.
Sheriff Chad Chronister described the incident as "deeply disturbing," noting that the tragedy has profoundly impacted the USF community.
Abugharbieh was apprehended at his family residence following a high-stakes standoff with law enforcement. After deputies responded to a domestic violence call, the suspect barricaded himself inside the home.
A tactical response unit, equipped with drones and robots, eventually negotiated his surrender.
Prior to the murder indictment, Abugharbieh was held on several charges, including tampering with evidence, false imprisonment, battery, and the unlawful transport of a human remains.
Investigators noted that while the suspect initially spoke with detectives, he ceased cooperation during a second interview as evidence began to link him directly to Limon’s body.
Records indicate that Abugharbieh has a prior criminal history involving battery and burglary allegations from 2023, along with previous domestic violence petitions filed against him by relatives.
Limon and Bristy were reportedly in a long-term relationship and had plans to marry, according to their families.
US authorities confirmed that Abugharbieh is the sole suspect in the case, and the investigation remains active to determine a motive and a full timeline of the events.
