Human remains found in Pinellas County as Tampa Bay murder probe deepens

Human remains recovered in the waterways of Pinellas County pushed the Tampa Bay case into an even darker phase, after investigators already confirmed the death of Zamil Limon and kept searching for Nahida Bristy. Limon’s remains were found on April 24 at the Howard Frankland Bridge, and deputies later sent marine and dive teams back into the bay near the span for Bristy, who was still missing.

The case had moved fast from a missing-persons inquiry to a homicide probe. On April 23, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office elevated Bristy and Limon to endangered status, saying new information had changed the way detectives were treating the pair. By April 25, the University of South Florida said 26-year-old Hisham Abugharbieh had been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of the two doctoral students. USF also said Abugharbieh was a U.S.-born citizen, not a current student or employee, and acted alone, with no ongoing threat to campus safety.

Court-record reporting showed Abugharbieh was first detained on preliminary counts that included unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment, and battery. Later filings described a string of alarming online searches, including alleged questions to ChatGPT about how to dispose of a body, whether a car VIN could be changed, and whether a gun could be kept at home without a license. Investigators also believe black trash bags were purchased before the students were reported missing on April 16, and that Limon’s body had been placed in multiple bags. Detectives asked anyone with dashcam video near the Howard Frankland Bridge between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. on April 17 to come forward.

Bristy had studied chemical engineering at USF since fall 2025. Limon had been studying geography and environmental science and policy since fall 2024. Both were Bangladeshi nationals in the United States on student visas, and USF said their health insurance included repatriation coverage. Friends and fellow students described them as a close-knit “family away from home,” and classmates said the killings shocked a community that had felt safe on campus.

A vigil and prayer service was being planned to honor Bristy and Limon, while friends and professors started a GoFundMe to help their families in Bangladesh. With one victim confirmed dead, another still missing, and additional remains now in forensic review, the investigation has become a tightly watched homicide case with digital evidence, bridge searches, and a widening trail of physical and online clues.