Remains located in search for missing Florida PhD student

Authorities have reported finding human remains in Tampa Bay waterways amidst the search for University of Florida doctoral student Nahida Bristy, who is missing.

Florida deputies shared this update late Sunday. Meanwhile, new legal documents suggest the suspect in Bristy's murder and that of another student appears to have asked ChatGPT how to get rid of a body.

The remains were located in Pinellas County and are yet to be identified. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office stated that the remains were found "around the area of Interstate 275 and 4th Street North," near the St. Petersburg side of the Howard Frankland Bridge.

Bristy, aged 27 and presumed dead, disappeared last week along with Zamil Limon, also 27, whose body was found Friday on a bridge near Tampa, Florida. 

Hisham Abugharbieh, Limon's 26-year-old roommate, was detained on Saturday and faces two charges of premeditated first-degree murder with a weapon. He is currently held without bail.

Details from court documents released on Sunday suggest Abugharbieh allegedly consulted ChatGPT for advice on hiding a body just before Bristy and Limon went missing.

The documents indicate that on April 13, the suspect asked ChatGPT about the consequences of putting someone "in a black garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster." 

The AI chatbot warned of the risks, leading Abugharbieh to allegedly probe further, asking, "How would they discover it."

Limon's body was found "inside multiple black utility trash bags in an advanced state of decomposition" on the Howard Frankland Bridge spanning part of Tampa Bay, according to court documents. 

These documents also suggest that prosecutors believe Bristy was "disposed of in a similar manner."

The University of South Florida Police Department announced Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27, were last seen in the Tampa vicinity on April 16. Relatives of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy

The day before the doctoral students' disappearance on April 15, Abugharbie purportedly asked ChatGPT, "Is it possible to alter a car's VIN number?" and inquired, "Can one keep a firearm at home without a license," according to the documents.

Shortly after midnight on April 17, the documents say Abugharbie inquired if vehicles were "inspected at the Hillsborough River state park," a park situated just northeast of Tampa. 

That same night, the suspect's mobile device showed activity at the location on the bridge where Limon's remains were found — west of Tampa — the documents allege.

An examination by the Pinellas County Medical Examiner determined that Limon's body suffered numerous cuts and stab wounds. The death was classified as homicide due to "multiple injuries from sharp objects," according to the legal documents.

The documents also report Abugharbie having many cuts on his body, found on both his left and right legs.

Detectives, using an "enhancement agent" at the apartment shared by Limon and Abugharbie, uncovered "notable" blood patterns from the entryway, through the kitchen, into the hallway, and inside the suspect's bedroom. 

Blood in the bedroom was reportedly found in "two distinct patterns on the floor with human-sized outlines," according to the legal documents.

Abugharbie is being represented by a court-appointed attorney. CBS News sought a statement on Saturday following his court appearance, but has yet to receive a response. He is slated to return to court on Tuesday.