Hisham Abugharbieh has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of two University of South Florida doctoral students from Bangladesh, according to an Associated Press report based on information released by law enforcement.
The report said that Abugharbieh, 26, was being held without bond after prosecutors filed the murder charges last week in connection with the killings of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy.
The AP said family members described a worsening pattern of behavior before the USF killings, telling deputies after Abugharbieh was arrested three years ago for punching his brother and kicking his mother in the back. The report said the family attributed the change to Abugharbieh’s use of cannabis, including medical marijuana, and included a victim impact statement submitted after the May 2023 arrest in which a relative, with a redacted name, wrote that the marijuana “turned him mentally ill” and contributed to “hurtful behavior and anger problems.”
The report said Abugharbieh was also described by deputies as making delusional statements at the time, including “I am son of Mary” and “I created my brother. I am his god.” The AP said he was taken to jail under Florida’s Baker Act, a law that allows for involuntary, emergency mental health observation for 72 hours, according to an incident report made public Wednesday by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The AP reported that Abugharbieh’s relative asked that he not face prosecution for the earlier arrest and requested substance abuse treatment instead. The report added that at the time of the May 2023 arrest, Abugharbieh told deputies he was acting in self-defense because his brother was threatening him.
In the current case, the AP said the remains of Abugharbieh’s roommate, Limon, were found in a trash bag on the Howard Frankland bridge last Friday. The report said that on Sunday, the sheriff’s office announced a body had been found in a waterway near the bridge, but the local medical examiner’s office had not publicly confirmed to Limon’s girlfriend, Bristy, that the body was Limon at the time of the report.
Both students disappeared April 16, the AP said. It reported that Limon was last seen at the off-campus apartment complex where he lived with Abugharbieh, and Bristy was last seen at a campus science building. The AP said Limon studied geography, environmental science and policy, and Bristy studied chemical engineering.
The AP reported that Abugharbieh was arrested last Friday after he barricaded himself inside his family’s home and refused to come out, following law enforcement’s response to what authorities described as a report of domestic violence. The report said one of the police reports released Wednesday alleged that he grabbed his sister and held her against her will before she was able to break free. The AP said Abugharbieh faced misdemeanor battery and felony false imprisonment charges related to that incident.
USF officials responded by setting memorial plans, according to the AP. In a message to students on Wednesday, USF President Moez Limayem said the university would hold a vigil for Limon and Bristy on Friday and would include a remembrance for the students during the next week’s commencement ceremonies. The AP said Limayem also announced that a fund to support the students’ families was started privately and that moments of silence would occur during sporting events this week.
Limayem said the university is reviewing “all factors involved,” including “conditions and safety measures” at off-campus housing facilities, the AP reported. He also said USF does not own, operate or manage off-campus apartments, while acknowledging the importance of safety and well-being for students wherever they live. The AP reported that the public defender’s office in Tampa, through attorney Jennifer Spradley, would not comment on Abugharbieh’s case.