The Daily Star
A court yesterday ordered the prime suspect in the killings of two Bangladeshi PhD students to be held without bond on murder charges in a courtroom filled with friends of the victims demanding justice.
According to Tampa Bay 28, a local news outlet, Hillsborough County Judge J Logan Murphy ordered Hisham Abugharbieh to have no contact with witnesses or relatives. He faces two counts of first‑degree murder with a weapon, alongside other charges.
Prosecutors expect to present the case to a grand jury on May 7, with the possibility of capital punishment if convicted.
Abugharbieh, Limon’s roommate and a former USF student, was charged last week with first-degree murder. Limon’s remains were found on Friday, while the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said it found additional remains over the weekend that it has not yet identified.
Limon and Bristy came to Tampa in 2024 and 2025, respectively, for higher studies at the University of South Florida. Bristy was studying chemical engineering, while Limon was studying geography, environmental science & policy.
The doctoral students disappeared on April 16. With their families still in Bangladesh, their classmates and friends stepped in to represent them during the case status hearing for the suspect.
“What you need to understand is that we Bangladeshi people live as a family here,” said Abir al Hasib Shourav, a friend present in the courtroom.
“It is a lot to process. When we come here, 8,000 miles away from home, these people become our family or everything here, and we meet them at all events,” another friend, Rifatul Islam, said.
“It is not acceptable. We are shocked that the place that should be our safe place — our home, our own rooms, our own kitchens — they were murdered there. I don’t know what to say; there are no words for that,” he added.
State Attorney Suzy Lopez praised the Bangladeshi students’ presence. “It’s wonderful to know their friends are embracing the two people they’ve lost and want to be part of this process to get justice.”
Investigators said a third roommate told them that Abugharbieh used a cart to dispose of evidence, including Limon’s belongings stained with blood.
Detectives later found blood traces in his bedroom and Bristy’s ID cards in Limon’s room. Court records also revealed Abugharbieh had asked ChatGPT about disposing of a human body days before the pair vanished.
Zamil’s graduate advisor at the University of South Florida, in cooperation with the Bangladesh Student Association, has launched a GoFundMe to support the victims’ families. Since the fundraiser’s launch on Tuesday, over $80K has been raised.
Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/crime-justice/news/limon-bristy-killings-theyre-family-4164381
