TAMPA, Fla. — Authorities in Florida have filed first-degree murder charges against a man accused of killing two University of South Florida students who vanished from campus last month.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced Saturday that 26-year-old Hisham Abugharbieh faces two counts of premeditated first-degree murder with a weapon in connection with the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both USF students.
According to Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer, investigators discovered Limon’s body on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning. Bristy remains missing as the search continues.
Law enforcement initially arrested Abugharbieh Friday at his family’s residence on charges including illegally moving a corpse, failing to report a death, evidence tampering, false imprisonment, and battery.
The arrest occurred when deputies responded to a domestic violence call at the family home near campus. After moving Abugharbieh’s relatives to safety, officers found themselves in a standoff when he barricaded himself inside the residence. SWAT officers, crisis negotiators, a drone, and a robot were deployed before Abugharbieh surrendered, emerging with his hands raised wearing only a blue towel.
Both victims, age 27, had been planning marriage according to family members. The pair disappeared from campus on April 16. Limon was last spotted at the off-campus apartment he shared with Abugharbieh, while Bristy was seen an hour later at a campus science facility where she lived on campus.
Medical examiners are conducting an autopsy to determine how Limon died, with results expected Saturday morning, Maurer stated Friday.
University records show Abugharbieh previously attended USF from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Management, though he was not currently enrolled. Limon studied geography, environmental science and policy, while Bristy pursued chemical engineering.
The sheriff’s office reports Abugharbieh has a history of arrests. He faced battery and burglary charges in September 2023, plus another battery charge that May, all classified as misdemeanors. Records indicate he completed a first-time offender diversion program in 2024, resulting in dismissed charges. His attorney from that case has not responded to requests for comment.
Court documents also reveal two domestic violence petitions filed by a family member in 2023. A judge approved one injunction while denying the other petition. Traffic violations were also on his record.
Investigators urge anyone with information about Bristy’s whereabouts to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office as the search continues.
