Florida authorities find remains of missing doctoral student

The remains of Zamil Limon, a 27-year-old doctoral student at the University of South Florida, were discovered on the Howard Frankland Bridge on Friday.

Following the discovery, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested his former roommate, 26-year-old Hisham Abugharbieh, at a residence in North Tampa.

The arrest occurred after a domestic violence call at 9:00 am led to a brief standoff involving a SWAT team.

Abugharbieh eventually surrendered and now faces charges of simple battery, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report a death, and the unlawful moving of a dead body. An autopsy is currently being performed to determine the exact cause of death.

Limon and another student, 27-year-old Nahida Bristy, were first reported missing on 17 April 2026 after failing to contact their families.

Bristy, a chemical engineering student, was last seen on the university’s Tampa campus on 16 April and remains missing as of Friday afternoon.

Limon’s family noted that he was deeply committed to his research on the use of AI in environmental science and had been preparing to present his thesis this week.

The two students were previously romantically involved, and their families described them as serious individuals who would not disappear without reason.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister confirmed that the investigation remains active as deputies continue to search for Bristy.

Abugharbieh is currently being held in custody while detectives work to establish a timeline of events leading up to the discovery on the bridge.