Prosecutors have revealed new evidence in the killing of a Florida doctoral student whose body was found last week on a Tampa Bay bridge. The student, Zamil Limon, was 27 years old and had been missing since April 16. His roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, has been charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon in the deaths of Limon and his close friend, postgraduate student Nahida Bristy, who is still missing.
According to court documents, Abugharbieh is due in court on Tuesday for a status hearing. He was initially expected in court for a pretrial detention hearing, but it has been postponed pending status hearing discussions.
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The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is seeking dashcam video from anyone who drove on the Howard Frankland Bridge on April 17 between 1 and 5 a.m. The office has posted a video of deputies on a boat near the bridge during an apparent search.
Limon was killed by “multiple sharp force injuries,” according to a document filed in Hillsborough County Court. Prosecutors have asked for Abugharbieh to stay in jail pending trial because of the gruesome nature of the alleged crimes.
The Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office has been appointed to the case but declined to share details, citing Abugharbieh’s right to a fair trial. Abugharbieh’s phone data shows he made two separate trips to the Howard Frankland Bridge in the early morning hours of April 17.
Investigators have found evidence that Abugharbieh asked ChatGPT a series of questions, including about putting a human body in a dumpster, in the days before Limon and Bristy vanished. He also ordered duct tape, trash bags, and other items from Amazon in the week before the killings.
Abugharbieh’s searches on ChatGPT continued in the days after the killings. On April 19, he asked about surviving a sniper bullet to the head and whether his neighbors would hear his gun. On April 23, he searched for the meaning of “missing endangered adult”.
Both Limon and Bristy were last seen or heard from on April 16 and reported missing the next day. Abugharbieh told detectives he had not seen the pair that day, but later changed his story when confronted with evidence.
During an interview with detectives, Abugharbieh had a bandaged left pinky finger, which he said he injured while cutting onions. He also had a fresh laceration on his left upper tricep and additional cuts on both legs.
A DoorDash order placed from Abugharbieh’s phone on April 16 included trash bags, Lysol wipes, and Febreze. The order was delivered to the apartment door at approximately 10:57 p.m.
Another roommate told investigators that Abugharbieh used a rolling cart to move cardboard boxes from his room to a compactor dumpster at their apartment complex late on April 16 into April 17.
Investigators later recovered items belonging to Limon from the dumpster, including a student ID, credit cards, and eyeglasses. A gray shirt and a black floor mat were also found, and lab testing linked profiles developed from the gray shirt to Limon and the floor mat to Bristy.
An enhancement agent applied to the apartment revealed a broad pattern of blood from the entry foyer to Abugharbieh’s bedroom. In his bedroom, investigators found two distinct patterns on the floor that appeared to have a human-sized shape, saturated into the carpet.
Bristy’s sneakers and umbrella were found in Limon’s bedroom, along with a coin purse containing her USF ID and credit cards. The affidavit concludes that no evidence has been uncovered to support the possibility that Bristy remains alive.
Abugharbieh faces charges of unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death with intent to conceal, tampering with physical evidence, false imprisonment, and battery, in addition to the two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon.
Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement, “This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution.”
Abugharbieh was arrested on April 24 at a home in Lutz, Florida, after law enforcement responded to a domestic violence incident involving a family member. He was also charged with misdemeanor battery and false imprisonment in that case.
The Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office said in a statement, “We remain focused on representing our client through the legal process.” Abugharbieh made an initial court appearance on Saturday morning.
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