Roommate charged with murder in deaths of USF doctoral students

25 Apr 2026 • 10:56 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Roommate charged with murder in deaths of USF doctoral students

  • Hisham Abugharbieh, a former University of South Florida student, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy.
  • Limon and Bristy, both 27-year-old doctoral students from Bangladesh, were reported missing after being last seen on 16 April.
  • Limon's body was discovered Friday morning on the Howard Frankland Bridge, about 20 miles from his off-campus home.
  • Bristy remains missing, but investigators believe she is also dead based on evidence found at the residence Abugharbieh shared with Limon.
  • Abugharbieh, Limon's roommate, was arrested after barricading himself during a domestic violence call, with authorities yet to disclose a motive for the killings.

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