New Testimony: Friends of the USF victims took the stand, describing a brief meeting shortly before the tragic event

TAMPA, Fla. — UPDATE: The man facing murder charges in the killings of two University of South Florida students was denied bond Tuesday morning during a hearing.

Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon, as well as other charges, according to state court records. Abugharbieh could get the death penalty if convicted, although prosecutors haven’t yet indicated whether they would seek capital punishment.

Abugharbieh did not appear in court.

Multiple USF students and friends of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy attended the hearing, sitting in the audience.

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Both Limon and Bristy, both 27-year-old doctoral students from Bangladesh, were last seen alive on April 16. Limon’s remains were located early Friday on the Howard Frankland Bridge, while a body found Sunday in the mangroves on 4th Street North in Pinellas County has not been confirmed to be Bristy’s.

Limon, Abugharbieh, and a third roommate all shared an apartment at Avalon Heights in Tampa, a university-registered off campus housing option for students.

Zubaer Ahmed, who is Limon’s brother, said his family wants the University of South Florida to pursue legal action against Avalon Heights. He said when Limon and the third roommate learned that Abugharbieh had a criminal record; they reported it to Avalon Heights, but the complaint was not taken seriously.

Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, faces two charges of first-degree murder, among other charges.

Ahmed said his brother told him that Abugharbieh was not friendly, and he wasn’t sure what to do about his odd behavior.

“He said he didn’t come often out of his room and was kind of a psychopath….but my brother wasn’t sure about it,” Ahmed explained. “Then he found out that he had criminal charges so my brother and another roommate filed a complaint against him.”

Ahmed said 15 days later, Limon went missing.

Now Limon’s family is asking in addition to legal action, they want more information about why a roommate was assigned without proper background checks. The family is also asking for personal belongings back, that a memorial be placed on USF’s campus, and that justice be served.

“We are requesting the highest possible punishment under the law for Hisham and anyone else who is legally connected,” Ahmed said.

A fundraiser has been started to help both Limon’s and Bristy’s families with funeral expenses.

Days before the two went missing, Abugharbieh had asked ChatGPT what would happen if a human body was put in a garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster, according to a report filed by prosecutors over the weekend. Detectives also found Limon’s credit cards, bloodied clothes, and a bloodied kitchen mat in the dumpster behind the shared apartment.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.