A former University of South Florida student, Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, has been charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder with a weapon in the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, two doctoral students from Bangladesh who disappeared earlier this month. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced the charges on Saturday, April 20, and Abugharbieh was ordered held without bond during his initial court appearance in Tampa. A hearing is scheduled for April 28.
Human remains were found in Pinellas County near the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa Bay, where authorities had been searching for Bristy’s body. The remains have not yet been identified. Limon’s body was discovered on Friday, April 19, wrapped in black utility trash bags on the bridge. According to court documents, prosecutors believe Bristy was disposed of in a similar manner.
New court documents reveal that Abugharbieh allegedly asked ChatGPT questions about disposing of a body in the days leading up to the disappearances. On April 13, he reportedly asked the AI chatbot, “What would happen if someone was put in a black garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster?” The chatbot responded that it sounded dangerous, prompting Abugharbieh to ask, “How would they find out?” On April 15, he allegedly inquired about changing a VIN number on a car and whether a gun could be kept at home without a license.
The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities continuing to gather evidence and analyze the suspect’s digital communications.