DNA Confirms Second USF Victim as Sheriff Reveals Suspect's Digital Trail

A Florida sheriff announced on Friday that a body found in Tampa Bay has been identified, using DNA and dental records, as the second victim in the killing of two University of South Florida (USF) students from Bangladesh.

The announcement is a significant development in a case that gained national attention after the two students, Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, went missing last month. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said they were “dedicated students and loyal friends.” Chronister also revealed new information about the man charged with two counts of first-degree murder in their killings, Limon’s roommate Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh.

Chronister said the investigation into this incident is ongoing, and officials are awaiting information from records and subpoenas that could result in additional charges. He said officials are also working to release both bodies back to the victims’ families in Bangladesh for religious reasons.

The sheriff said Bristy’s remains were found in a plastic bag by a kayaker whose fishing line got snagged.

Chronister said her body was in advanced stages of decomposition, so officials were not able to identify her by fingerprint, which is how Limon’s body was identified. He said the body was identified as Bristy through DNA and dental work she had done, as well as clothes she was seen wearing in a video from the last time she was seen on campus.

Chronister said content on Abugharbieh's phone had been erased, but a forensic examination revealed “disturbing” searches in the days before April 16, when Bristy and Limon went missing. The searches included phrases like, "Can a knife penetrate a skull?" and "Can a neighbor hear a gunshot?"

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.

This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.

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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 10:48 AM.