University of South Florida – 2nd Victim Identified by Sheriff

Authorities identified the human remains found near a Tampa Bay bridge last Sunday. Sadly, the body belonged to Nahida Bristy, the second missing doctoral student from the University of South Florida. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister confirmed the true crime news on Friday. Read on to find out more.

A Horrible Discovery

CNN reported that Chronister identified the body as Bristy. The sheriff described the investigation as gruesome. He described the “the actions of the suspect [as] nothing short of pure evil.”

Both Bristy and fellow student Zamil Limon disappeared on April 16. The 27-year-old victims moved to Tampa from Bangladesh for their studies. Limon turned up first. Passersby found his body on the Howard Frankland Bridge on April 24.

Two days later, someone spotted a black trash bag on the shore just south of Limon’s location. Investigators opened the bag and found more remains. An arrest affidavit noted the body showed “an advanced stage of decomposition.”

Matching Evidence Found

Early reports noted that the clothing on the body matched what Bristy wore when she vanished. Detectives also noticed the trash bag used a specific knot. Of note, is the fact that the knot matched the one used to close the bag containing Limon.

Bristy had multiple stab wounds. And that also matched the way Limon died. Sheriff Chronister told reporters that detectives still lacked a motive. He said they were “anxiously searching for that” right now.

Short Recap of the Case

Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon went missing in mid-April. Police found Limon on a bridge and later found Bristy in a bag nearby. Both students suffered violent deaths. Their roommate currently sits in jail for the crimes.

Families Grieve The Loss

Zahid Pranto, Bristy’s brother, spoke with CNN about the tragedy. He said, “People should not be going through this kind of situation.”

The sheriff called the family in Bangladesh hours before the press conference. Pranto said his mom cried constantly after the call. He also stayed busy checking his dad’s blood pressure. He described their world as being “upside down right now.”

Suspect Faces Many Charges

Limon’s roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, stayed in jail this week. He faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder. The state attorney also added charges for moving a body, tampering with evidence, and battery.

A judge ruled on Tuesday, that Abugharbieh must stay behind bars until his trial. Apparently, prosecutors pushed for it because of the violent nature of the accusations.

Court documents included details from the medical examiner. Limon had a deep stab wound in his lower back that hit his liver. Chronister aslo said the killer bound Limon’s hands and ankles.

The suspect nearly severed the victim’s legs so he could “be bent together” and fit inside a bag. Additionally, the sheriff said the killer dumped him “like a piece of trash.”

Waiting for Answers

Pranto told WTSP that investigators reached out to the family last week. They suspected Bristy was dead because they found a large amount of blood in the apartment Limon shared with Abugharbieh. The family is now working with the embassy to bring her home.

Police originally arrested Abugharbieh on April 24 in Lutz. Reportedly, they went to a home there for a domestic violence call involving his family. The sheriff’s office continues to investigate why the killings happened.

Let us know what you think in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your true crime news and updates. Also, we do have a crime channel on TikTok that you can follow.