Zamil Limon's family is mourning his death after his body was found one week after they last heard from him. His schoolmate and friend, Nahida Bristy, remains missing.
Limon's roommate, Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh, has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of both students, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. He is facing the following charges: unlawfully holding or moving a dead human body in unapproved conditions; failure to report a death to a medical examiner or law enforcement with intent to conceal; tampering with physical evidence; false imprisonment; and battery.
Zamil Limon, Nahida Bristy's Relationship
Before his arrest, Limon and Bristy's respective families told authorities that they had not heard from the University of South Florida students, who are both 27 years old and completing their doctorate degrees. Limon and Bristy both hail from Bangladesh and are in the US to finish their studies.
Limon's remains were located on Friday morning in the area surrounding the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa, Florida. His cause of death will be determined by the Pinellas County Medical Examiner's Office. Bristy has not been located, and her family remains hopeful that she will be found alive.
Bristy and Limon briefly dated in the past, but at the time of his death, the two were no longer together. Despite their breakup, the two students had remained close. Family members for both Limon and Bristy revealed that they had conversations about potentially getting married one day.
Zamil Limon Found Dead – Nahida Bristy Missing – Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih In Custody https://t.co/WiIMcXs4YH pic.twitter.com/xFQAloDoHs
— SyndicatedNews (@SyndicatedNews) April 24, 2026
Hardworking Students
Both Limon and Bristy were described as hardworking students. Missing their classes was out of character for both of them.
'Everybody internally is obviously very concerned, as we are concerned. It's not typical of their behaviour, they're graduate students. When we get to this point where we aren't having success in locating them, then our next best source is the public. That's where we are at,' Larry McKinnon, USF Public Safety Public Information Officer, said.
Who Is Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh?
Abugharbieh is a 26-year-old former USF student. On Friday, 24 April at 9:09 am, deputies responded to the 14000 block of Pine Glen Circle in reference to a domestic violence incident involving Abugharbieh. Upon arrival, he barricaded himself inside the residence and refused to comply with multiple lawful commands to exit. Specialised units were deployed, including SWAT, the Bomb Disposal Team, the Crisis Negotiations Team and the Drone Response Team. He was taken into custody without further incident at approximately 10:30 am.
Prior to his arrest, authorities had interviewed Abugharbieh twice as a person of interest due to his connection to the missing students. Detectives were concurrently following investigative leads near the Howard Frankland Bridge, where Limon's remains were located.
'This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution,' said Sheriff Chad Chronister. 'While the discovery of Zamil Limon's remains is heartbreaking, I want the public to know that our detectives worked and are working tirelessly and relentlessly to uncover the truth.'
Abugharbieh attended USF between 2021 and 2023, where he studied for a bachelor's degree in management. As of publication, the motive for Limon's death remains unknown.
Family Pleads With the Public for Help
Bristy's family is pleading with the public to help locate her. Her older brother, Zahid Pranto, said that she calls them every day, so when they did not hear from her, they immediately became concerned.
'There has been no single day without contact with her. My family is just devastated,' he said.
Bristy is studying chemical engineering at USF in Tampa, Florida. She was last seen near the university campus on 16 April. Anyone with information regarding her disappearance is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at (813) 247-8200.
