USF Students' Deaths: Timeline of Investigation Details

Investigators have presented a detailed and disturbing timeline outlining the alleged circumstances surrounding the disappearance and subsequent deaths of two doctoral students at the University of South Florida. Hisham Abugharbieh, the suspect, faces multiple charges related to the incident, following the discovery of one victim's body and his subsequent arrest.

Initial Disappearance and Investigation Timeline

• Missing Persons: Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27 and originally from Bangladesh, were last seen nearly two weeks prior to the body discovery.
• Initial Leads: Friends of the students reported being unable to reach them after initial contact attempts.
• Campus Activity: Surveillance video reportedly showed Bristy on the USF campus midday. A friend arranged to bring her eyeglasses that evening, but Bristy did not appear or answer calls.
• Last Known Movements: Prosecutors noted phone data showing Limon near his home and campus before traveling to Clearwater, approximately 32 miles from his residence, around 7:43 p.m.
• Suspect Activity: Within about ten minutes of Limon's recorded location, Abugharbieh’s vehicle was seen in the same area. Phone and traffic data allegedly showed consistencies between the suspect's and Limon's devices throughout the night.

Evidence and Suspicious Purchases

Prosecutors highlighted several pieces of evidence gathered during their investigation:

• Purchases: A DoorDash order for trash bags, Lysol wipes, and Febreze was placed from Abugharbieh’s phone and delivered to his apartment around 10:30 p.m.
• Activity at Residence: Another roommate observed Abugharbieh using a rolling cart to move cardboard boxes to a compactor dumpster at their complex.
• Digital Queries: Evidence included ChatGPT searches on the suspect’s phone, such as asking, “are cars checked at the Hillsborough River state park,” and later, “What does missing endangered adult mean.”
• Suspicious Purchases (Pre-Disappearance): A pretrial motion revealed suspicious Amazon purchases made by Abugharbieh weeks before the students went missing, including duct tape, trash bags, lighter fuel, and fire starters.

Discovery of Remains and Arrest

• Missing Status: Limon and Bristy were officially reported missing on April 17th.
• Body Found: On April 17th, Abugharbieh was seen making two separate trips to the Howard Frankland Bridge between 1 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., according to affidavit data.
• Discovery: On April 17th, a black trash bag was found at a location corresponding to a stop on the suspect's phone data. Inside, human remains were discovered and positively identified as Limon.
• Cause of Death: Limon’s death was ruled a homicide due to multiple sharp force injuries, including a deep stab wound to the lower back penetrating the liver.
• Arrest: Abugharbieh was arrested on April 24th, and later on April 25th, following a domestic violence incident.

Legal Proceedings and Charges

• Charges: Abugharbieh faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon. Additional charges include unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death with intent to conceal, tampering with physical evidence, false imprisonment, and battery.
• Inconsistent Statements: Prosecutors noted that Abugharbieh provided inconsistent accounts regarding when and where he last saw the students.
• Physical Evidence: During questioning, investigators observed various injuries on Abugharbieh, including a bandage on his left pinky finger and fresh lacerations on his upper tricep and legs.