Killing of two BD students in US: Suspect held without bond

A man accused of killing two Bangladeshi graduate students at the University of South Florida will remain in custody without bond. - Agency photo

A man accused of killing two Bangladeshi graduate students at the University of South Florida will remain in custody without bond, a judge ordered Tuesday, days after a SWAT team arrested him at his parents’ home.

Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, has also been barred from contacting witnesses or the victims’ family members, Hillsborough County Judge Logan Murphy said during a brief hearing in Tampa.

According to court records, Abugharbieh faces two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon along with other charges. He could face the death penalty if convicted, though prosecutors have not yet said whether they will pursue capital punishment.

The accused was not present at the hearing. Public defender Jennifer Spradley said earlier that her office would not comment on the case.

The victims, Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27 and doctoral students from Bangladesh, had been considering marriage, according to a relative. They went missing on April 16. Limon was last seen at the off-campus apartment he shared with Abugharbieh and another roommate.

Investigators used cellphone location data and license plate reader information to trace Abugharbieh’s vehicle and Limon’s phone to a bridge where Limon’s body was recovered on Friday. Prosecutors said he had multiple stab wounds and appeared to have been bound.

Authorities continued searching for Bristy, and on Sunday a body was recovered from a nearby waterway. The identity has not yet been confirmed, and autopsy reports are pending, officials said.

When questioned days after the couple disappeared, Abugharbieh denied involvement, though detectives noted that his pinky finger was bandaged, according to a pretrial detention report.

Investigators later gained access to the apartment with the help of the building manager. A third roommate told police that Abugharbieh had used a cart overnight on April 16 to move cardboard boxes from his room to a trash compactor.

Detectives recovered Limon’s wallet, university ID, credit card, eyeglasses and clothing with what appeared to be bloodstains from the trash area.

With a search warrant, police later found traces of blood leading from the kitchen to Abugharbieh’s bedroom, along with significant bloodstains on the bedroom carpet. In Limon’s room, they discovered Bristy’s university ID and credit cards.

Prosecutors also said that days before the incident, Abugharbieh had asked OpenAI’s ChatGPT about what would happen if a human body were placed in a garbage bag and thrown into a dumpster. ChatGPT responded that the question appeared dangerous, according to the report.

Florida’s attorney general said an ongoing investigation into whether ChatGPT provided advice in a separate case will now be expanded to include this incident.

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said the company is reviewing the reports and will cooperate with law enforcement.

“This is a terrible crime, and our thoughts are with everyone affected,” he said. – UNB/AP