USF doctoral student Zamil Limon found dead on Howard Frankland Bridge as search for Nahida Bristy continues

The remains of University of South Florida doctoral student Zamil Limon were found Friday morning on the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa, shifting a weeklong missing persons investigation into a broader criminal inquiry as authorities continued searching for fellow doctoral student Nahida Bristy. Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said the search for Nahida Bristy remained active after investigators identified the remains as those of Zamil Limon.

Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih, 26, identified by authorities as Zamil Limon’s roommate, was taken into custody Friday after deputies responded to a domestic violence call at a residence near the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus. Authorities said Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih faced preliminary charges including unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment and battery.

Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27 and originally from Bangladesh, had been missing since April 16. Zamil Limon was studying geography, environmental science and policy, while Nahida Bristy was studying chemical engineering. The two University of South Florida doctoral students were last seen separately in the Tampa area, with Zamil Limon last seen at his residence and Nahida Bristy last seen at a campus science building.

How did the University of South Florida missing students case change after Zamil Limon’s remains were found in Tampa?

The discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains on the Howard Frankland Bridge changed the focus of the investigation from a missing persons search involving two doctoral students into a case involving a confirmed death, an active search for Nahida Bristy and criminal charges against Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih. Authorities had already elevated the case to missing and endangered before Friday’s discovery, saying new information had led detectives to believe the two students were at risk.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister described the case as deeply disturbing and said the discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains had affected the community while investigators continued to pursue the facts. The sheriff’s office also said dive teams were searching near the Howard Frankland Bridge for Nahida Bristy as part of the continuing effort to locate her.

The case has drawn attention beyond Tampa because it involves two international doctoral students, a major public university, a high-visibility bridge over Tampa Bay and an unresolved search for a second missing person. For law enforcement, the immediate priority remains locating Nahida Bristy and determining the circumstances of Zamil Limon’s death. For the University of South Florida community, the case has become a student safety concern tied to both off-campus housing and campus-area movements.

What do authorities say about Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih’s arrest near the University of South Florida campus?

Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih was arrested Friday after deputies responded to a domestic violence disturbance at a residence in the Lake Forest Community, north of the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus. Authorities said family members were removed from the home safely before Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih barricaded himself inside and later surrendered after a tactical response involving law enforcement officers.

The charges listed by authorities were preliminary and included unlawfully holding or moving a dead human body in unapproved conditions, failure to report a death to the medical examiner or law enforcement with intent to conceal, tampering with physical evidence, false imprisonment and battery. Reports also said he faced domestic violence-related allegations connected to the call that brought deputies to the residence.

Authorities said Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih had previously been interviewed in connection with the disappearance of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy. Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih ended an earlier interview but was speaking with detectives again after his arrest. Law enforcement officials also said there were no other suspects in the investigation at that time.

Why is the search for Nahida Bristy still central to the Hillsborough County investigation?

Nahida Bristy remained missing after the discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains, making her whereabouts the central unresolved issue in the case. Authorities said law enforcement dive teams were searching near the Howard Frankland Bridge, while investigators continued asking the public to share information that could help locate Nahida Bristy.

Nahida Bristy was last seen on April 16 at around 10 a.m. at the Natural and Environmental Sciences Building on the University of South Florida Tampa campus. Zamil Limon was last seen about an hour earlier at his Tampa residence. A family friend contacted authorities on April 17 after being unable to reach either student.

The continued search for Nahida Bristy matters because authorities have not publicly confirmed her condition or location. The case remains active, and the discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains does not resolve the disappearance of Nahida Bristy. Investigators are therefore handling the matter as both a death investigation and a missing endangered person search.

What is known about Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy’s academic background at the University of South Florida?

Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy were both doctoral students at the University of South Florida and were both 27 years old. Zamil Limon was pursuing studies in geography, environmental science and policy, while Nahida Bristy was studying chemical engineering. The two students were originally from Bangladesh and were part of the university’s international graduate student community.

Reports citing family and university information said Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy had been in regular contact with relatives and friends before their disappearance. Their sudden absence, lack of communication and the fact that both disappeared on the same morning led authorities to intensify the search and later classify them as endangered.

The academic context is important because the case involves two highly specialized graduate researchers at a public research university. Their disappearance raised concern among friends, family members and university officials because it appeared inconsistent with their expected routines. That concern increased after investigators found Zamil Limon’s remains and continued searching for Nahida Bristy.

What questions remain after the discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains on the Howard Frankland Bridge?

The most urgent unanswered question is the location and condition of Nahida Bristy. Authorities have not announced that she has been found, and the search near the Howard Frankland Bridge continued after Zamil Limon’s remains were discovered. Investigators have asked anyone with information about Nahida Bristy’s whereabouts to contact the University of South Florida Police Department.

A second unresolved question is the cause and manner of Zamil Limon’s death. Authorities said an autopsy was being conducted to determine how Zamil Limon died. Until the medical findings are released, the legal meaning of the charges against Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih remains limited to the allegations already announced by law enforcement.

A third question concerns the timeline between April 16, when Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy were last seen, and April 24, when Zamil Limon’s remains were found. Investigators have not publicly released a complete account of what they believe happened during that period. The case therefore remains in a developing stage, with law enforcement focused on physical evidence, witness information, digital records and search operations.

How does the Tampa investigation affect the University of South Florida community and international students?

The case has shaken the University of South Florida community because it involves two doctoral students who were pursuing advanced academic work and disappeared in connection with locations near the university. The University of South Florida Police Department initially handled the missing persons report before the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office became more involved as the case expanded.

For international students, the case carries added emotional weight because Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy were from Bangladesh and were living in the United States for higher education. Families, friends and community members abroad often depend on regular communication to track student safety, and reports said the lack of contact was a major reason the disappearance was quickly treated as alarming.

The institutional impact is likely to remain focused on student safety communication, coordination between campus police and county law enforcement, and the handling of missing person alerts when graduate students live across both campus and off-campus settings. At this stage, however, authorities have not announced any broader public safety threat to the University of South Florida campus.

What are the key takeaways from the Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy investigation at the University of South Florida?

• Zamil Limon’s remains were found Friday morning on the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa.
• Nahida Bristy remained missing after the discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains.
• Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih, identified as Zamil Limon’s roommate, was taken into custody Friday.
• Authorities said Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih faced preliminary charges including unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment and battery.
• Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy were both 27-year-old University of South Florida doctoral students from Bangladesh who were last seen on April 16.