Former USF Student Charged With Murder After Body Found on Howard Frankland Bridge

A 26-year-old former University of South Florida student has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon following the discovery of a body on the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said Hisham Abugharbieh was arrested Friday after the body of Zamil Limon, a USF doctoral student, was found. Abugharbieh and Limon were previously roommates. The sheriff’s office stated that Abugharbieh faces murder charges in connection with the deaths of both Limon and another USF doctoral student, Nahida Bristy, who remains missing as of Saturday.

The university’s police department reported that Limon and Bristy were last seen on the morning of April 16 and were reported missing on Tuesday. At the time of his arrest, Abugharbieh was also facing charges including domestic violence, simple battery, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report a death, and unlawfully holding or moving a dead body, according to officials.

The sheriff’s office said evidence was presented to the State Attorney’s Office, leading to the additional murder charges. Abugharbieh was enrolled at USF from spring 2021 through spring 2023 but was not currently a student, according to university officials. The investigation into Bristy’s disappearance is ongoing.