Hisham Abugharbieh, facing two counts of first-degree murder, appears in court via video on Saturday, April 25, in Tampa, Florida. – WFTS-TV/AP

His family member indicated to police that while Abugharbieh had not been diagnosed with a mental illness, his behavior had worsened over recent weeks, the report says.

In a victim impact letter submitted to the court, a relative said Abugharbieh’s behavior had changed over the last few years after he began using medical marijuana.

“Hisham used to be a cool guy. A supportive and helpful eldest son,” the relative wrote. “It turned him mentally ill with hurtful behavior and anger problems.”

Despite this apparent change in Abugharbieh, the relative said they were still left “shocked” by his arrest and added they filed a petition for involuntary treatment for substance abuse.

“I hope that the court will help Hisham … and put him under treatment and stop him using medical marijuana because it is not for him since he has never had any disease requires (sic) drug use,” the relative wrote.

The charges against Abugharbieh in the battery case were later dropped, court records show. However, an injunction was granted by a judge, prohibiting him from coming near his brother or his home through May 2025.

Abugharbieh, now 26, faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon in the deaths of the University of South Florida students.

Prosecutors allege Abugharbieh asked ChatGPT a series of questions — including about putting a human body in a dumpster — in the days before Limon and Bristy vanished.

He also ordered duct tape, trash bags, lighter fuel, fire starter and charcoal from Amazon in the week before, and financial records cited in a criminal affidavit show a fake beard had been shipped from Amazon on April 15.