Arrest of USF roommate charged in murders of two doctoral students
Consensus Summary
Two doctoral students, Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27 and in a romantic relationship, vanished from the University of South Florida campus on April 16, 2026. Limon’s remains were discovered on the Howard Frankland Bridge on April 25, leading to the arrest of his off-campus roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, after a SWAT standoff at his family home in Tampa. Abugharbieh faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, along with additional charges including tampering with evidence and false imprisonment. Investigators believe he acted alone, though Bristy’s body remains missing. Both sources confirm Abugharbieh had prior misdemeanor arrests for battery and burglary, and that the case has deeply shaken the USF community. Authorities continue searching for Bristy and pursuing leads, with an autopsy on Limon underway as of April 26.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, was charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder in the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy
- Zamil Limon, 27, was last seen alive at his off-campus apartment (shared with Abugharbieh) on April 16, 2026, and his remains were found on the Howard Frankland Bridge on April 25, 2026
- Nahida Bristy, 27, was last seen at a campus science building on April 16, 2026, one hour after Limon’s disappearance; her body remains unrecovered as of April 26, 2026
- Abugharbieh was arrested after a SWAT standoff at his family home in Tampa, Florida, on April 25, 2026, and surrendered half-naked wearing only a blue towel
- Abugharbieh was previously arrested in 2023 for battery (May) and battery/burglary of an unoccupied dwelling (September), both misdemeanors
- Limon was studying geography, environmental science, and policy; Bristy was studying chemical engineering
- Limon and Bristy were in a romantic relationship and reportedly considering marriage
- Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister described the case as 'deeply disturbing' and stated detectives are working tirelessly to uncover the truth
- Abugharbieh was a former USF student (2021–2023) with a bachelor’s in management but was not enrolled at the time of the arrests
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Abugharbieh allegedly barricaded himself inside his family home for over an hour before surrendering, with specialized units, drones, and robots deployed during the standoff.
- The State Attorney’s Office announced a second murder charge based on evidence found during the investigation, despite Bristy’s body not being recovered.
- Family members confirmed Limon was due to submit his thesis the day after he disappeared.
- University officials stated there is 'no ongoing threat to the safety of the university community.'
- Detectives are continuing to search the area surrounding the Howard Frankland Bridge for Bristy’s remains.
- Abugharbieh was initially arrested on preliminary charges including unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment, and battery after officers responded to a domestic violence report at his family’s home.
- A family friend contacted authorities on April 17 after being unable to contact Limon or Bristy.
- Abugharbieh had two domestic violence petitions filed against him by a family member in 2023, with one injunction granted and the other denied.
- An autopsy on Limon was underway as of April 25, with results possible by Saturday (April 26).
- The Associated Press attempted to contact Abugharbieh’s lawyer but the call was not immediately returned.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states Abugharbieh was arrested after officers responded to a domestic violence report, while NEWSCOMAU does not mention this initial trigger for the arrest.
- NEWSCOMAU describes Abugharbieh as 'an off-campus roommate of Mr Limon,' while the Guardian does not explicitly state whether the apartment was off-campus or on-campus, though both confirm they shared housing.
Source Articles
Man arrested, charged after ‘deeply disturbing’ deaths of two uni students
A man wearing nothing but a towel has been arrested in a ‘dramatic’ police standoff after allegedly murdering two students who vanished from their university campus.
Roommate charged with murder in deaths of University of South Florida doctoral students
Hisham Abugharbieh was arrested after standoff with police and charged with killing Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy The man who was detained after two Bangladeshi doctoral students went missing from the University of South Florida (USF) has been booked with two counts of murder. Hisham Abugharbieh faces two counts of premeditated murder in the first degree with a weapon in the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, the Hillsborough county sheriff’s office announced on Saturday. Continue reading.