April 28, 2026
DHAKA – A suspect charged with killing two Bangladeshi students, Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, in Florida allegedly searched an artificial intelligence chatbot about disposing of a body days before the pair were last seen, according to a court filing cited by NBC News.
Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, faces a first-degree murder charge over the deaths of Limon and Bristy, both 27. Limon’s body was recovered on Friday, while Bristy remains missing, though investigators believe she is dead.
In a motion filed on Saturday seeking to deny bail, the American television channel mentioned, prosecutors alleged that Abugharbieh asked ChatGPT on April 13, “What happens if a human [is] put in a black garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster.”
When the chatbot responded that the scenario sounded dangerous, he allegedly followed up with, “How would they find out.”
According to the filing, a roommate told investigators he saw Abugharbieh moving cardboard boxes to a compactor dumpster at their apartment complex on April 17.
A subsequent search of the dumpster recovered items belonging to Limon, including his student ID and credit cards, the filing stated.
DNA found on a grey T-shirt was likely Limon’s, while genetic material on a kitchen mat matched Bristy, prosecutors said.
Sheriff’s Investigators later found Limon’s remains in a heavy-duty trash bag. An autopsy indicated he died from “multiple sharp force injuries.”
Members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office marine and dive teams search the area around the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa, Florida, on Friday.
Human remains were found Sunday (local time) during the search for Bristy, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said, but the remains have not been identified, reports NBC News.
Prosecutors said in their filing that Abugharbieh claimed to have given Limon and Bristy a ride to Clearwater the day they were last seen, April 16.
Investigators also alleged in the motion that Abugharbieh purchased trash bags, Lysol wipes and Febreze that night, and that blood was discovered in his apartment. He also disposed of items including Bristy’s pink cellphone cover, prosecutors alleged.
Jennifer Spradley, homicide bureau chief of the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office, which is representing Abugharbieh, said by email that they have no comment on the case.
Abugharbieh initially denied knowing their whereabouts and claimed they had never been in his car. However, investigators said he later changed his account after being confronted with location data placing both his vehicle and Limon’s phone in Clearwater.
According to the motion, Abugharbieh then said he had driven the pair to Clearwater but offered no clear explanation. Data also showed he stopped along the Howard Frankland Bridge, where Limon’s body was later found.
Investigators further noted that Abugharbieh had injuries, including a cut on his finger and lacerations on his legs. He reportedly claimed the finger injury occurred while cutting onions.
Abugharbieh was arrested on Friday following a brief standoff. In addition to murder, he faces charges including battery, false imprisonment, failure to report a death, unlawful storage of human remains and evidence tampering.
He is being held without bond at a Hillsborough County jail. A court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has not disclosed a motive.
Family members told NBC News that Limon and Bristy had previously been in a relationship. In a joint statement, their families requested that their bodies be handled in accordance with Islamic funeral rites and called for a memorial in their names.
In a separate statement, the University of South Florida said it is mourning the loss of the two students and remains committed to student safety.