A body was recovered in Pinellas County after an extensive search amid the news that one University of South Florida student was found earlier this last week. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the true crime news update.
Searching Near Howard Frankland Bridge
According to 10 Tampa Bay News, officials said they “discovered the remains after searching in the waterways of this area right by 4th Street North just south of the Howard Frankland Bridge in Pinellas County.” Investigators used helicopters, boats, and searched on foot.
Reporter Annie Krall was on scene. She said, “A very active scene as Marine units with Hillsborough and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Offices took to Tampa Bay.” She also saw “a body bag being taken into this thick brush by the medical examiner and evidence bags being taken out.”
What Happened?
The two missing people were USF doctoral students. True crime followers already heard that they are Zamil Limon and Nahida S. Bristy. If you don’t know yet, the University of South Florida students were last seen on April 16.
USF police said Limon was a doctoral student in “geography, environmental science, and policy.” Meanwhile, Bristy was also a doctoral student studying chemical engineering.
Limon’s body was found at the Howard Frankland Bridge on Friday. After that, authorities arrested his roommate, 26-year-old Hisham Abugharbieh. Currently, he faces multiple charges.
On Sunday, a second body was found in the water near the same bridge.
Recapping Events
The two students were reported missing on April 16, 2026. Then, on April 24, Limon’s body was found at the bridge. Next, his roommate was arrested after a standoff.
On April 26, a second body was recovered from the water near 4th Street North. For now, the investigation into the roommate continues. Actually, the suspect could be in big trouble if taken to court and found guilty.
Unexpected Police Activity
Drivers passing by saw an unusual scene. One neighbor told 10 Tampa Bay News, “This amount of cops… we’re not used to having this kind of trouble, especially here. This area of St. Petersburg [is] very calm, and yeah, we’re surprised.”
So far, it’s not clear that the new body found was that of Nahida S. Bristy. So, law enforcement asks anyone with information on Bristy’s whereabouts to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200.
Viewers React
In the comments section, some folks hope that it’s not Nahida who was found this weekend. However, one commenter noted, “Nahida’s elder brother confirmed on Facebook one day ago that she is no more! RIP”
Here are a few more responses from the discussion about the University of South Florida students:
- Why this guy would do such a horrible thing??? he was just a roommate. why kill both for ??? death penalty for him definitely.
- Can’t believe this no good evil killed 2 bright future students!
- So sad. Those poor young people had such a future.
Remember, Hisham Abugharbieh is innocent until proven guilty, but what are your thougths? Let us know in the comments below, and come back here often for all your true crime news and updates. Also, we have a crime channel on TikTok that you can check out.