The Hillsborough State Attorney Seeks Death Penalty for Accused Killer of USF Graduate Students
The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office has announced that they will be seeking the death penalty for Hisham Abugharbieh, who is accused of killing two University of South Florida graduate students. A grand jury indicted Abugharbieh on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Nahida Sultana Bristy and Zamil Ahamed Limon. The prosecution alleges that Abugharbieh stabbed both students to death and disposed of their bodies in trash bags. Friends reported the students missing to USF police, leading to an investigation that ultimately implicated Abugharbieh as the suspect.
Investigators found physical evidence in Abugharbieh's apartment, as well as cellphone data and search history, linking him to the deaths. Using geolocation data from his cellphone, investigators located Limon's body on the Howard Frankland Bridge, and two days later, Bristy's body was found in a similar bag nearby. The state attorney’s office has identified aggravating factors required under Florida law to pursue the death penalty, including the alleged cold, calculated, and premeditated nature of the killings, their heinousness, and the involvement of multiple homicides in the same criminal episode.
State Attorney Suzy Lopez expressed the devastating impact of the case on the community and the families of the victims. In addition to the murder charges, Abugharbieh faces charges of tampering with physical evidence, unlawfully holding or moving a dead human body, and failing to report deaths to the medical examiner or law enforcement with intent to conceal. Abugharbieh is currently held without bond on the murder charges, while bond has been set for the remaining counts.
In conclusion, the prosecution is seeking the death penalty for Hisham Abugharbieh in the case of the murders of Nahida Sultana Bristy and Zamil Ahamed Limon, two University of South Florida graduate students. The tragic nature of the case has deeply affected the community and the families involved, with the state attorney’s office citing aggravating factors that warrant the pursuit of the death penalty. Abugharbieh faces multiple charges related to the murders and is currently held without bond on the murder charges.