Prosecutors seek the death penalty for a U.S. citizen roommate accused of brutally stabbing two legal immigrant doctoral students from Bangladesh, exposing vulnerabilities in off-campus housing for international scholars.[1][2]
Story Highlights
- Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh, 26, faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder after a grand jury indictment; held without bond.[1][2][3]
- Blood evidence from victims Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy found in Abugharbieh’s bedroom and apartment, confirmed via Bluestar technology.[1][2]
- Victims’ bodies discovered in black trash bags near Tampa bridges; Limon had multiple stab wounds and bindings.[2]
- Pre-murder purchases and ChatGPT queries on body disposal and knife penetration bolster premeditation case.[2]
- State Attorney’s Office cites cold, calculated crime warranting capital punishment.[2]
Gruesome Discovery of Victims’ Bodies
On April 24, 2026, a passerby found Zamil Limon’s body in a black trash bag on the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa, Florida. The 27-year-old doctoral student suffered multiple stab wounds to the neck and torso, with hands and ankles bound by duct tape. Two days later, Nahida Bristy’s body surfaced in nearby mangroves, identified via DNA, dental records, and clothing. Both victims, University of South Florida students from Bangladesh on legal visas, disappeared April 16.[2][1]
Investigators linked the disposal sites to Abugharbieh through cellphone pings and license plate reader data. His phone and vehicle coincided with Limon’s phone near Courtney Campbell Causeway, Clearwater Beach, and the bridge on the disappearance day.[2]
Overwhelming Forensic Evidence in Apartment
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office detectives entered the off-campus apartment on Avalon Heights Boulevard. Using Bluestar technology, they detected a blood trail from the kitchen to Abugharbieh’s bedroom, including a human body outline on his carpet soaked with residue. Blood matched both victims; Bristy’s campus ID and credit cards appeared in Limon’s bedroom, while Limon’s bloodied glasses, wallet, ID, and clothes filled a nearby dumpster.[1][2]
A third roommate reported Abugharbieh moving large cardboard boxes to the trash compactor overnight on April 16. Abugharbieh sustained lacerations on his left pinky and tricep, which he claimed came from cutting onions—his mother later contradicted this. No murder weapon has surfaced, but evidence points to a knife.[2]
Premeditation Through Purchases and Searches
Abugharbieh’s Amazon and DoorDash records showed buys of duct tape on April 7, heavy-duty black trash bags on April 11, Lysol wipes, fire starter, lighter fluid, and a fake beard on April 15. A CVS receipt from April 16 included more garbage bags and deodorant, matching disposal items.[2]
Phone forensics revealed disturbing ChatGPT queries days prior: “Can a knife penetrate a skull?” and “What happens if a human is put in a black garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster?” He also searched gun laws and vehicle identification number alterations.[2]
Zamil Limon and Nadhia Bristy, who were both part of USF’s doctoral program, will receive posthumous degrees during Friday’s doctoral commencement ceremony.
Limon's roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, remains held without bond on first-degree murder charges.
The latest: @BN9 pic.twitter.com/yZYI5QiD89
— Angie Angers (@angie_angers) May 7, 2026
Abugharbieh’s prior record includes 2023 domestic violence charges for punching his brother and kicking his mother, plus a restraining order and assault on a maintenance worker. He initially denied the victims entered his car but later admitted driving them to Clearwater.[2]
Legal Path to Death Penalty
A grand jury indicted Abugharbieh on two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon, plus charges of unlawfully moving bodies, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment, battery, and failure to report a death. The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office filed a notice seeking the death penalty, arguing the killings were “cold, calculated, and premeditated” in an “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel” manner.[2][1]
A Tampa judge ordered him held without bond after his April 25 court appearance. Prosecutors lack eyewitnesses, the murder weapon, or Abugharbieh’s DNA on the bodies, but digital and forensic trails dominate. Motive ties to roommate tensions, possibly a complaint Limon filed about Abugharbieh.[2]
This case underscores risks in shared student housing, where Florida reports elevated roommate violence among international enrollees. Families seek justice as the investigation continues.[2]
Sources:
[1] Roommate faces murder charges in deaths of 2 University of South …
[2] Roommate charged with killing 2 missing USF students; one found …
