How investigators say the killings of two University of South Florida students unfolded
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story contains graphic details.
as a suspect Accused of murdering two doctoral students Authorities facing murder charges in Florida have revealed disturbing and chilling details about the students’ disappearance.
Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27 years old and originally from Bangladesh, last seen almost two weeks ago in Tampa. Limon’s body was found a week later. Two days later Bristy’s largely decomposed remains were found.
Limon’s roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, was charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide by weapon in the students’ deaths. A judge ruled Tuesday that he will remain in custody while awaiting trial.
In a motion filed last week to keep Abugharbieh, 26, in jail while he faces charges, prosecutors laid out how investigators think the two University of South Florida students may have died, as well as a detailed timeline of their and the suspect’s actions around the time he disappeared.
Here’s a look at what he said.
April 7 and 11: Amazon purchases
Abugharbieh allegedly made several purchases from Amazon, including duct tape, garbage bags, lighter fuel and a fire extinguisher, according to an arrest warrant affidavit in the case.
April 13: A ChatGPT chat
In a ChatGPT conversation cited in the motion for pretrial detention, Abugharbieh is seen asking the question: “What happens if a person is put in a black trash bag and thrown into a trash can?” The chatbot responds by saying it looks dangerous.
“How will they find out?” Abugharbieh said, according to prosecutors. he replies.
April 16: Last contact with two students
Limon and Bristy’s friends were in contact with them during the day, but were unable to reach them afterwards, according to a motion filed by prosecutors in Hillsborough County Court on Saturday. Bristy and Limon speak briefly on the phone a few times.
According to the motion, Bristy was captured on security camera walking on the university campus at noon. However, that evening, he does not come to the meeting he planned with a friend to buy his glasses and does not answer his friend’s calls.
Limon’s phone location shows he was near his home and campus before heading to Clearwater — about 20 miles from his home — around 7:43 p.m.
Abugharbieh’s white Hyundai Genesis G80 was seen traveling in the same area about 10 minutes later, according to prosecutors.
Phone and traffic data show consistency between the locations of the suspect’s and Limon’s devices throughout the night.
Around 10:30 p.m., a DoorDash order for garbage bags, Lysol wipes, Febreze and other items from CVS was placed from Abugharbieh’s phone and delivered to her apartment door about a half hour later.
According to the decision, Limon and Abugharbieh’s other roommate saw Abugharbieh using a wheelbarrow to move cardboard boxes from his room to a compactor dumpster at the apartment complex.
April 17: Students reported missing
Hillsborough Co. Missing persons flyer issued by Sheriff’s Office for two University of South Florida students – Hillsborough Co. Sheriff’s Office
A. ChatGPT search The affidavit states Abugharbieh asked on his phone, “Are cars checked at Hillsborough River state park?”
The suspect made two trips to the Howard Frankland Bridge, a stretch of I-275 spanning Tampa Bay, between 1 and 4:30 a.m., according to the affidavit based on phone and traffic data.
Meanwhile, Limon and Bristy are officially reported missing.
The next day, police search Bristy’s workplace on campus and find that she has left personal belongings, including her lunchbox, MacBook, and iPad.
April 22: Investigators question suspect’s mother
The motion states that authorities interviewed Abugharbieh’s mother, who said she last saw her son on Saturday, April 18. According to the document, Abugharbieh has anger management problems and has been violent towards his family in the past.
According to court records, the suspect was arrested twice in 2023 on battery charges, but these charges were later dropped. However, following one of these incidents, his brother applied for an injunction banning Abugharbieh from approaching him or his home. When the injunction expired last May, its request for an extension was denied.
April 23: Searches continue
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Marine and Dive teams are searching for missing University of South Florida doctoral student Nahida Bristy near the Howard Frankland Bridge in Florida. – Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has upgraded the status of two missing students to “endangered.”
Authorities search a dumpster and find a black cushion mat filled with blood, Limon’s wallet, Bristy’s phone case, Limon’s glasses, and her clothes are all stained with blood. Around this time, Abugharbieh gives authorities permission to search his car, which prosecutors said appeared to have been “recently cleaned.”
Abugharbieh also stated that he gave investigators access to vehicle data, but no data was found, the affidavit said.
According to testimony, Abugharbieh gives inconsistent information about when he last saw Limon and Bristy. He initially told detectives that the pair “never got in his car nor did they drive to Clearwater.” When asked about his vehicle being in Clearwater, the document says he went there to look for a fishing spot and then changed his story again, telling detectives Limon wanted to drive to Clearwater with his girlfriend.
According to the motion, during these meetings, Abugharbieh’s left little finger was bandaged, and he later said that this wound occurred while cutting onions. Detectives also observed a new tear in the upper left triceps area and additional cuts on both legs, according to the file.
Prosecutors say Abugharbieh asked ChatGPT on April 23, “What does it mean for the endangered adult to disappear?” He says he asked.
April 24: Limon’s body was found, the suspect was arrested
This frame, from a video released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, shows the moment the suspect was arrested in connection with the disappearance of two USF students. – Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
Detectives searching the Howard Frankland Bridge found a black trash bag where phone data indicated the suspect was stopped in the early hours of April 17, according to the decision.
Prosecutors say the bag was similar to those found under Abugharbieh’s bed. In the file, it was definitely stated that the body of a man was found inside and that it was Limon.
Limon’s death was ruled a homicide, the motion states, citing “multiple sharp force injuries” and a medical examiner’s report stating he had a deep stab wound to his lower back that penetrated his liver, among other wounds.
That morning, Abugharbieh was arrested at a home in Lutz, Florida, hours after law enforcement responded to a domestic violence incident involving a family member, the sheriff’s office said.
April 25: The suspect appeared in court and detailed evidence was announced
Hisham Abugharbieh appeared in court via video on Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Tampa, Florida. – WFTS-TV/AP
The pretrial motion was filed with prosecutors arguing that Abugharbieh made the purchases from Amazon and was referring to the alleged ChatGPT conversations.
Abugharbieh appeared in court for the first time on Saturday morning.
In addition to the two counts of first-degree murder, he also faces charges of unlawfully transporting a body, failure to report a death with intent to conceal, tampering with physical evidence, false imprisonment and battery, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. says.
The Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office said it was assigned to the case but declined to share details, citing Abugharbieh’s right to a fair trial.
In the statement made by the office, it was said, “We continue to focus on representing our client in the legal process.”
April 26: Human remains found in waterway
A second black garbage bag was spotted along the shoreline just south of where Limon was found.
Inside, investigators discovered another set of human remains in an “advanced stage of decomposition,” according to the arrest affidavit.
The bag was found knotted in the same manner as the bag containing Limon’s remains, according to testimony. Investigators also noted that the body was wearing clothing consistent with what Nahida Bristy was wearing in the most recent surveillance video.
Like Limon, the victim has multiple stab wounds. But given the severe decomposition, authorities were not able to immediately identify the remains.
April 27: Murders added to OpenAI investigation
The state of Florida is expanding its criminal investigation into OpenAI, the parent company and creator of ChatGPT, to include the murders of Limon and Bristy. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced.
“This is a horrific crime and our thoughts are with everyone affected,” OpenAI spokesman Drew Pusateri said in a statement. “We are reviewing these reports and will do everything we can to assist law enforcement in their investigation.”
Uthmeier said last week that his office was investigating whether ChatGPT aided the suspect. Fatal shooting at Florida State University whether the crime was committed and “whether OpenAI bears criminal liability for ChatGPT’s actions.”
April 28: Suspect held without bail
A status conference was held to determine how the case against Abugharbieh will proceed.
Hillsborough County Judge J. Logan Murphy granted prosecutors’ request to hold Abugharbieh without bail on two first-degree murder charges while he awaits trial. Abugharbieh will not appear in court for the meeting, according to Erin Maloney, a spokeswoman for the State’s Attorney’s Office.
A hearing has not yet been scheduled.
May 1: Dismembered remains revealed to be Bristy’s
Five days after a kayaker’s fishing rod was caught in a trash bag containing severely decomposed remains, the Hillsborough County sheriff said. The body has been confirmed to be Bristy’s.
“While this identity brings answers, it also brings great sadness. Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon were not just students, they were driven, successful individuals destined for great futures,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister.
He also gave disturbing details about what happened to Limon. Her hands and ankles were tied together, and her legs were “almost completely cut off so they could be bent together … (making) it easier to put in a garbage bag,” Chronister said. “As horrific as this murder was, it was literally left on the side of the highway like a piece of garbage.”
The sheriff said the motive for the killings remains unclear and detectives are “concernedly investigating it.”
CNN’s Holly Yan, Amanda Musa and Chris Boyette contributed to this report.
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