TAMPA, Fla. — Authorities have confirmed that human remains discovered near a Tampa Bay bridge belong to Nahida Bristy, the second University of South Florida doctoral student killed in a case that investigators describe as deeply disturbing and violent.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister announced Friday that Bristy, 27, had been positively identified following the discovery of remains along the shoreline near the Howard Frankland Bridge. The remains were found days after the body of fellow doctoral student Zamil Limon was recovered in the same area.
“The details of this investigation are gruesome, and the actions of the suspect are nothing short of pure evil,” Chronister said.
Bristy and Limon, both originally from Bangladesh, were last seen on April 16 in Tampa. Investigators say Limon’s body was found on April 24, while a black trash bag containing additional human remains—later identified as Bristy—was discovered two days later nearby.
Authorities noted similarities in how both bodies were concealed, including the use of tightly knotted trash bags.
According to investigators, both victims suffered multiple stab wounds. Limon’s injuries were particularly severe, with officials stating he had been bound and dismembered in a manner that facilitated placing his body inside a bag.
A suspect, Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon. Prosecutors have also filed additional charges, including unlawful disposal of a body, evidence tampering, false imprisonment, and battery.
Abugharbieh, identified as Limon’s roommate, remains in custody without bond following a judge’s ruling citing the “brutal and violent nature” of the alleged crimes. He was arrested April 24 in Lutz, Florida, after deputies responded to a domestic violence call involving a family member.
Investigators believe the killings occurred at an apartment shared by Limon and the suspect. Authorities had previously contacted Bristy’s family after discovering significant amounts of blood at the residence, raising fears about her fate before the remains were identified.
Despite the arrests, officials say the motive behind the killings remains unclear.
“We are anxiously searching for that,” Chronister said.
Bristy was a doctoral student in chemical engineering at the University of South Florida. She previously earned a master’s degree from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and a bachelor’s degree from Noakhali Science and Technology University.
Academic leaders described her as a promising scholar with a bright future. Her family said she had hoped to return to Bangladesh to contribute to national development.
“Her untimely death is an irreparable loss,” said a university official from her alma mater.
The killings have sent shockwaves through both the Tampa community and the international academic community, highlighting the vulnerability of students far from home.
“Their dreams brought them here,” Chronister said. “And to have to tell their families how their lives ended — it goes against every grain of what we stand for.”
As the investigation continues, authorities are urging anyone with additional information to come forward while the victims’ families grapple with an unimaginable loss.
Credit: CNN
