Second USF Student Identified Near Tampa Bay Bridge

Human remains recovered near a Tampa Bay area bridge have been identified as Nahida Bristy, a 27-year-old University of South Florida doctoral student, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister.

The identification was made on Friday, and Chronister described the details of the investigation as “gruesome” and the actions of the suspect as “pure evil.”

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Bristy and fellow doctoral student Zamil Limon, also 27, were last seen on April 16 in Tampa, and Limon‘s body was found on April 24 on the Howard Frankland Bridge.

A black trash bag was spotted on the shoreline two days later, containing another set of human remains in an “advanced stage of decomposition,” according to an arrest affidavit.

The bag was tied in a knot, similar to the one containing ‘s remains, and the body was wearing “similar clothing” to what Bristy was last seen wearing on video surveillance.

Bristy suffered multiple stab wounds, similar to Limon, but the motive for the killings remains unclear, with detectives “anxiously searching for that,” Chronister said.

Bristy‘s family was notified of the identification hours before the Friday morning news conference, and her brother, Zahid Pranto, said they are “overwhelmed” with the news.

“People should not be going through this kind of situation,” Pranto told CNN.

Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, has been charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon in Limon and Bristy‘s deaths, and is being held in detention as he awaits trial.

A medical examiner’s report said Limon suffered a deep stab wound to his lower back that penetrated his liver, among other wounds.

Chronister described the crime as “gruesome,” saying Limon was bound and his legs were “almost completely severed” to make it easier to place him in a trash bag.

Investigators had previously called Bristy‘s family in Bangladesh to say they believed she may be dead, based on the amount of blood found in the apartment Limon shared with Abugharbieh.

Bristy‘s family is working with the Bangladesh embassy to get her body back “as soon as possible,” Pranto said.

Bristy was a doctoral student of chemical engineering at USF, and had a master’s of engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.

She had a “dream to come back to Bangladesh, work here, do something big and contribute to society,” Pranto told CNN.

University of South Florida President Moez Limayem said Bristy and Limon were “exemplary students, building lives, creating community and contributing to our university in meaningful ways.”

A vigil was held at USF on Friday to honor the two students, where professors remembered them as bright and kind.

“When I met her, I saw a student with a quiet smile, a soft-spoken demeanor and enthusiasm to begin her coursework,” said Vinay Gupta, the chair for USF’s department of chemical, biological and materials engineering.

Limon‘s family said they hope Bristy‘s loved ones “may find some measure of peace” after receiving the confirmation of her death.

The killings of the two students, who traveled to the US for higher education, “contradicts everything that Florida and the United States stands for,” Chronister said.

On a typical Wednesday morning, the USF campus is bustling with students, but on this particular day, the atmosphere was somber, with many students and faculty members attending the vigil to pay their respects to Bristy and Limon.

In room 207 of the USF student union, a memorial service was held, where friends and family members shared stories and memories of the two students.

The investigation into the killings is ongoing, with detectives working to determine the motive behind the crimes.

Charges against Hisham Abugharbieh

Abugharbieh faces charges of two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon, unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death with intent to conceal, tampering with physical evidence, false imprisonment, and battery.

A judge ruled that Abugharbieh will remain in detention as he awaits trial, citing the “brutal and violent nature” of the alleged crimes.

University response

The University of South Florida is working with authorities in their investigation, and Limayem said the university is “committed to supporting the families and loved ones of Bristy and Limon during this difficult time.”

The university has also set up a memorial fund to support the families of the two students.

As the investigation continues, the USF community is coming together to support each other and remember the lives of Bristy and Limon.