Hisham Abugharbieh charged with murder of 2 USF doctoral students
Police charged Hisham Abugharbieh with murdering two University of South Florida doctoral students who went missing April 16. Abugharbieh was the roommate of one victim, Zamil Limon. He faces two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office charged Hisham Abugharbieh with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon. The victims were Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27-year-old doctoral students from Bangladesh.
Abugharbieh was Limon's roommate. Police began searching for both students after they disappeared on April 16. The sheriff's office announced the charges on Saturday after presenting evidence to the state attorney's office.
Both victims were pursuing doctoral degrees at the University of South Florida. They were part of the international student community at the Tampa-area university. The case began as a missing persons investigation before turning into a murder case.
Police have not released details about how the students died or what led to the charges. The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies searching for the missing students over more than a week.
This case highlights safety concerns for international students living together while pursuing advanced degrees. The charges bring some answers to families after a nine-day search for the missing students.
Court proceedings will begin for the murder charges. Police may release more details about the investigation.
Was this article helpful?
0 people found this helpful