Authorities say evidence supports murder charges while one student remains missing.
TAMPA, Fla. — Authorities continued searching for University of South Florida doctoral student Nahida Bristy after charging a former USF student with killing her and Zamil Limon, whose remains were found Friday near the Howard Frankland Bridge.
The case moved from a missing-person search to a double-murder prosecution after Hillsborough County investigators presented evidence to prosecutors. Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, was charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon. He was ordered held without bond after a Saturday court appearance.
Limon and Bristy, both 27, were last seen April 16 in the Tampa area. Limon was last seen at an off-campus residence he shared with Abugharbieh. Bristy was last seen later at a campus science building. Family members said the two were in a relationship and had discussed marriage.
Deputies arrested Abugharbieh on Friday at a family home in the Lake Forest community, near USF’s Tampa campus. The sheriff’s office said deputies first responded to a domestic violence call and moved relatives away from the home. Abugharbieh then refused to come out, prompting a response from SWAT officers and crisis negotiators. He surrendered after more than an hour.
The sheriff’s office said Abugharbieh also faces charges including battery, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report a death and unlawfully moving a dead body. Officials have not publicly released a motive. Limon’s cause of death remained pending an autopsy, and Bristy’s body had not been recovered.
Bristy’s brother, Zahid Prato, said the family was told police believed she was likely dead because of blood found at the residence shared by Abugharbieh and Limon. “My home is just broken,” Prato said. Authorities said Saturday they were still searching for Bristy and gathering evidence.
Limon studied geography, environmental science and policy. Bristy studied chemical engineering. Their deaths shook students and relatives in Florida and Bangladesh, where Bristy’s former university described her as a promising scholar. A USF spokesperson said Abugharbieh had attended the school from spring 2021 through spring 2023 but was not currently enrolled.
Abugharbieh’s next court hearing is set for April 28. Investigators said the search for Bristy and the review of evidence from the residence, bridge area and related records remain active.
Author note: Last updated April 26, 2026.