New video released of suspect in missing USF students' case, See Video Here

The body of Zamil Limon, 27, a Bangladeshi doctoral student at the University of South Florida (USF), was recovered on Friday morning (April 24) near the Howard Frankland Bridge. Following the discovery, law enforcement arrested his roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, after a dramatic standoff involving a specialized SWAT team. While Limon’s remains have been found, fellow student Nahida Sultana Bristy, 27, remains missing.

Shortly after the body was found, police received a "domestic violence" call from a residence in the Lake Forest area near the USF campus—the home of Limon’s roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh. When deputies arrived, Hisham barricaded himself inside and refused multiple commands to surrender. This led to a high-stakes operation by the SWAT unit, who surrounded the house. At 10:36 AM, the suspect finally surrendered and was taken into custody.

Charges Against the Roommate

Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer stated that preliminary investigations suggest Hisham acted alone. Although he was not a current student at USF, he lived with Limon in an off-campus apartment. Abugharbieh now faces several grave charges, including:

• Unlawfully moving or holding a dead human body.

• Failure to report a death with intent to conceal.

• Tampering with physical evidence.

• False imprisonment and battery.

Despite the arrest, the whereabouts of Nahida Sultana Bristy remain unknown. She was last seen on April 16 at 10:00 AM outside the Natural and Environmental Sciences (NES) building on the USF campus.

"We are still actively searching for Nahida. I implore the community to share any information that could help us find her," said Chief Deputy Maurer.

Limon was pursuing his PhD in Geography, Environmental Science, and Policy, while Bristy was a doctoral student in Chemical Engineering. The two were known to be close and had discussed marriage, according to their families. Law enforcement continues to follow leads, and an autopsy is currently underway to determine Limon’s exact cause of death.