A 26-year-old man made his first court appearance after being charged with the alleged premeditated murders of two University of South Florida doctoral students. Hisham Abugharbieh was brought before a Tampa judge Saturday, shackled and wearing a protective gown. Hillsborough County deputies arrested him Friday after he emerged from his residence shirtless and wrapped in a bath towel. He faces two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon in the deaths of doctoral students Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy.
A close friend of the students said Limon had previously expressed concerns about his roommate’s behavior, calling it erratic. A 2023 protective order obtained by CBS News shows Abugharbieh’s brother alleged the defendant would scream at night about being God and demand that others bow down.
Authorities reported that Limon’s remains were found Friday on a nearby bridge. Detectives have told Bristy’s family they believe she is likely dead based on crime-scene evidence, though her body may never be recovered; Bristy’s brother said the family is devastated.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said officers are continuing efforts to locate Bristy. Abugharbieh was detained following a tense arrest eight days after the students were first reported missing. He is due back in court Tuesday. The developments were reported by Cristian Benavides, with the update read by Jericka Duncan on CBS.