Roommate charged with murder in deaths of two Bangladeshi PhD students in US

A man has been charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder in the deaths of two Bangladeshi doctoral students from the University of South Florida.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh, 26, has been booked over the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Sultana Bristy, both aged 27, reports The Guardian.

Abugharbieh was the off-campus roommate of Limon.

The case unfolded after the two students were reported missing on 17 April by a family friend, a day after they were last seen near the campus. Limon was last seen at his apartment, while Bristy – who lived on campus – was last spotted at a university science building, reports CNN.

Limon’s body was recovered yesterday (24 April) from the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa. Authorities said an autopsy was underway to determine the exact cause of death.

Bristy remained missing at the time charges were filed, but investigators said evidence gathered during the probe was sufficient to charge Abugharbieh with her murder as well. A family member confirmed her death today (25 April), though authorities had not officially confirmed the recovery of her body.

Sheriff Chad Chronister described the case as “deeply disturbing,” saying it had shaken the community and those hoping for a safe outcome.

Abugharbieh was arrested at his family home after deputies responded to a domestic violence call.

According to officials, he initially refused to surrender, barricading himself inside the house. A tactical response team, along with a drone, robot and crisis negotiators, was deployed before he eventually came out and was taken into custody.

Before being charged with murder, he had been held on multiple preliminary charges, including unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment and battery.

Investigators said Abugharbieh had been interviewed at least twice during the investigation, but stopped cooperating during a second round of questioning. By the time of his arrest, authorities said they had been able to link him to the incidents and to Limon’s body.

Officials also noted that the suspect had a prior history of arrests in 2023, including battery and burglary-related allegations, though some cases were later dropped or handled through diversion programmes.

Court records also showed previous domestic violence petitions filed by a family member.

Authorities confirmed that Abugharbieh is currently the sole suspect in the case, which has received nationwide media coverage in the United States.

Limon and Bristy were reportedly in a relationship and had been considering marriage, according to family members.

The sheriff’s office said it would not disclose further investigative details at this stage to protect the integrity of the case, adding that detectives are continuing efforts to establish the full sequence of events.