USF Doctoral Student Murder: Roommate Charged, Second Body Still Missing

# USF Doctoral Student Murder: Roommate Charged With Two Counts, Second Body Still Missing

> **Quick answer:** Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, was charged on April 25, 2026 with two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon in the deaths of University of South Florida doctoral students Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27-year-old Bangladeshi nationals. Limon's body was discovered on the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa on April 25; Bristy remains missing but authorities believe she is deceased. Abugharbieh is held without bond with a pre-trial hearing scheduled for Tuesday, April 29.

The USF doctoral student murder case has shaken the University of South Florida community and drawn national attention as authorities piece together what happened to two promising Bangladeshi PhD researchers who vanished on April 16, 2026. The case now carries some of the most serious charges in Florida's criminal code — and one victim has still not been found.

## Who Are Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy?

Zamil Limon, 27, was a geography and environmental science PhD student at USF, enrolled since fall 2024. His research focused on using generative AI to monitor wetland loss in South Florida — a cutting-edge environmental science application that had earned him recognition in his department. His family described him as "very decent" and "always jolly," a young man who planned to return to Bangladesh after completing his doctorate and become a university professor.

Nahida Bristy, 27, was pursuing her PhD in chemical engineering at USF, having enrolled in fall 2025. Colleagues described her as "self-driven" and "passionate about learning new technology." She had earned her undergraduate and master's degrees from universities in Bangladesh before being accepted into USF's doctoral program. Both students were in the United States on student visas.