TAMPA, Fla. - The grand jurors of Hillsborough County indicted Hisham Abugharbieh on Thursday, May 7. He is accused of murdering two USF students, Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon.
What we know:
Abugharbieh was indicted on seven counts.
Those counts include:
- Murder in the first degree (x2)
- Tampering with physical evidence
- Unlawfully holding or moving a dead human body in unapproved conditions (x2)
- Failure to report death (x2)
Bristy and Limon were reported missing on April 17. Limon’s body was discovered last Friday on the Howard Frankland Bridge. Another set of human remains was found in the water on Sunday, and were later identified as Nahida Bristy.
(Left to right) Zamil Limon, Nahida Bristy
Limon’s roommate, Hashim Abugharbieh has been charged with their murders.
What's next:
Since Abugharbieh has been indicted, the State Attorney's Office has filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty.
"This tragic case has shaken our entire community and devastated two families who live halfway across the world. These young students came to our community from Bangladesh to pursue their doctoral degrees and build brighter futures. Their lives were cut short by an unthinkable act of violence. We will ask the jury to sentence the defendant to death for his crimes. These are families who sent their children across the world with hope, and now they are left with an unimaginable loss. We stand with them in their grief, and we will not stop seeking justice for Nahida and Zamil," said State Attorney Suzy Lopez.
Abugharbieh remains in jail with no bond.
His arraignment has been scheduled for May 18.
Dig deeper:
Nahida and Zamil will receive their degrees posthumously on Friday, May 8, with two empty chairs at the graduation ceremony to represent the students who were killed.
USF said it remains in contact with those who were closest to Nahida and Zamil, and continues to work with representatives from the Bangladeshi Embassy and Consulate General to assist their families during this very difficult time.
The Source: This article was written using court records and previous reporting from FOX 13.