New Remains Found Off I-275 As Search For Second Missing USF Student Continues

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — As the search for missing University of South Florida doctoral student Nahida S. Bristy continues, human remains were recovered from Pinellas County waters on Sunday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

They were found in the area of Interstate 275 and 4th Street North, not far from where the body of a second missing USF student, Zamil Limon, was recovered Friday morning. His body was found in the area of the Howard Frankland Bridge.

The remains found Sunday haven’t been identified yet, and they’re in the possession of the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office, the sheriff’s office said.

It’s not clear whether the remains are connected to the USF students.

Limon’s roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, was arrested Friday in connection with the case, after an unrelated domestic violence incident at his family’s home in the 14000 block of Pine Glen Circle, according to HCSO.

His initial charges included battery, false imprisonment, tampering with physical evidence, failure to report a death, and unlawfully holding or moving a dead body, deputies said.

Two new charges of murder in the first degree with a weapon (pre-meditated) in the deaths of Limon and Bristy were added early Saturday, the sheriff’s office said.

Limon and Bristy, both 27 and from Bangladesh, were last seen separately on April 16. The two were romantically connected, reports said.

In the days before they vanished, Abugharbieh turned to ChatGPT with questions like, what happens if a person is “put in a black garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster,” Newsweek reported.

During the investigation after they were reported missing, forensic scientists found traces of blood in a trash compactor at the Avalon Heights complex, where he and Limon lived, as well as Limon’s wallet and glasses, a pink iPhone case that belonged to Bristy, and blood-stained clothing, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

The sheriff’s office took over the search for the students, following leads in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, and declared them endangered on Thursday.

Members of the HCSO SWAT team responded to the domestic violence incident involving Abugharbieh at the Pine Glen Circle home on Friday just after 9 a.m.

He barricaded himself inside the home, and after a brief standoff with deputies, he was taken into custody around 10:30 a.m.

At the same time, detectives were following investigative leads in the area of the bridge, where Limon’s remains were found in trash bags, reports said.

His cause of death will be determined by the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office.

“This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “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. We will continue to follow every fact, pursue every lead, and use every tool available to hold those responsible fully accountable. Our thoughts remain with the families of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy during this time.”

Limon and Bristy had previously dated, Bristy’s older brother, Zahaid Hasan Pranto, speaking from Bangladesh, told NBC News.

“From my sister’s friends, I came to know like she was still emotionally engaged,” he said.

Limon’s younger brother, Zubaer Ahmed, also speaking from Bangladesh, told the news outlet that the couple were “close friends” who were still talking about potentially getting married in the future.

They had been “thinking about having [a] future together,” but both were currently dedicated to their studies, he said.

Ahmed told Fox news that his brother “is a very responsible person, and that’s why the situation is so unpredictable and unusual to us … like, and very suspicious.”

The family is “in deep pain and [it’s] a devastating situation,” the brother added.

Limon, who was pursuing a doctoral degree in geography, environmental science and policy, was last seen on April 16 around 9 a.m. at Avalon Heights, an off-campus apartment complex not far from campus, USF police said in a news release.

He was scheduled to present his thesis on the use of AI in environmental science this week, CBS News reported.

Bristy, who was studying chemical engineering, was last seen on April 16 around 10 a.m. at the NES building on USF’s Tampa campus at 121 USF Sweetgum Lane.

A family friend told police they were missing on April 17, just before 5 p.m., after being unable to contact either of them

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office documented and processed Limon’s missing person’s report, while USF police handled the missing person’s report for Bristy.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200.

See Also:

• Body Of Missing USF Student Found; Roommate Arrested, Sheriff Says
• Roommate Facing Additional Charges In Death Of Missing USF Student