Authorities Find Human Remains Near Howard Frankland Bridge in Search for Nahida Bristy

Authorities searching for missing University of South Florida doctoral student Nahida Bristy found human remains in the waterways of Tampa Bay late Sunday, Florida deputies announced as new court documents alleged the of Bristy and appeared to ask ChatGPT how to dispose of a body.

“Police identify the body of 1 missing USF student, second still missing as roommate is charged Police identify the body of 1 missing USF student, second still missing as roommate is charged The body of a Bangladeshi doctoral student who went missing with his girlfriend from the University of South Florida was found on a bridge over Tampa Bay, and his roommate has been taken into custody, law enforcement authorities said Friday”

AP News

The remains were found in Pinellas County and have not yet been identified, according to CBS News.

AP News

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said the remains were found "in the area of Interstate 275 and 4th Street North," at the St. Petersburg side of the Howard Frankland Bridge, CBS News reported.

UPI similarly said the remains were found in Pinellas County in a Tampa Bay waterway on Sunday night as investigators searched for Bristy’s body.

WPEC also reported that investigators discovered a body in the waterways of Tampa Bay near the Howard Frankland Bridge, where Zamil Limon’s body was found on Friday, while officials said positive identification had yet to be determined.

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune added that the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to identify the remains after they were discovered Sunday in the area of Interstate 275 and Fourth St. North.

The case has centered on court documents describing how the roommate of the missing doctoral students, Hisham Abugharbieh, used ChatGPT in the days leading up to the disappearances.

CBS News reported that court documents unveiled Sunday say Abugharbieh allegedly asked ChatGPT questions about how to dispose of a body in the days leading up to the disappearance of Brsity and Limon.

CBS News

The documents said the suspect asked ChatGPT on April 13 what would happen if someone was "put in a black garbage bag and thrown in dumpster," and the AI chatbot responded that it sounds dangerous, prompting Abugharbieh to allegedly ask, "How would they find out."

CBS News also said that on April 15, the day before the doctoral students went missing, Abugharbie allegedly asked ChatGPT, "Can a VIN number on a car be changed?" and, "Can you keep a gun at home with out a license," according to the documents.

The same court documents, CBS News reported, said that just after midnight on April 17, Abugharbie asked if cars are "checked at the Hillsborough River state park," and that his phone pinged at the location on the bridge where Limon’s remains were discovered.

UPI echoed the April 13 question about "put in a black garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster" and said investigators searched for Bristy after remains were found in Pinellas County.

Investigators previously located Zamil Limon’s remains on the Howard Frankland Bridge, and court documents described forensic findings that prosecutors said connected the deaths.

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CBS News reported that Limon’s body "was located within numerous black utility trash bags in advanced stages of decomposition" on the Howard Frankland Bridge, which spans part of Tampa Bay, according to the court documents.

The autopsy by the Pinellas County Medical Examiner's Office found that Limon’s body had sustained numerous lacerations and stab wounds, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide due to "multiple sharp force injuries," according to the court documents.

UPI similarly said Limon’s body was discovered in "numerous black utility trash bags in advanced stages of decomposition" and that the autopsy found multiple stab wounds and lacerations, with death ruled a homicide due to "multiple sharp force injuries."

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune provided additional detail from court records, including that "The wrists and ankles appeared to be bound, and the body was nude."

CBS News also said detectives used an "enhancement agent" at the apartment Limon and Abugharbieh shared and found "significant" blood patterns from the entry foyer, through the kitchen, into the hallway and in the suspect's bedroom.

The reporting pieces together a timeline that begins with the students’ disappearance and moves through the discovery of Limon’s remains and the later search for Bristy.

AP News said Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, but Nahida Bristy was still missing, and it described that Limon and Bristy, both 27, disappeared from campus on April 16.

Oz Arab Media

AP News reported that Limon was last seen at his home in an off-campus apartment complex where he lived with Abugharbeih, while Bristy was last seen an hour later at a campus science building.

AP News described the arrest process, saying officers encountered Abugharbeih at his family’s home north of the campus, and that he barricaded himself inside and refused to come out until a SWAT team responded with a drone, a robot and crisis negotiators.

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune said detectives spent the weekend searching the waterways near Howard Frankland Bridge to locate 27-year-old Nahida Bristy, and it stated that she was last seen April 16 and reported missing the next day along with fellow USF doctoral student Zamil Limon, also 27.

The CBS News report said Abugharbieh is due back in court on Tuesday, and that he is being held without bond and is represented by a public defender.

Prosecutors have charged Abugharbieh in connection with the death of Zamil Limon, and the case now extends to identifying the remains found near the Howard Frankland Bridge area and determining Bristy’s fate.

CBS News said Abugharbieh, 26, was arrested Saturday and is charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder with a weapon, and that he is being held without bond.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

UPI reported that on Saturday, 26-year-old Hisham Abugharbieh was charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon in the deaths of Bristy and Zamil Limon.

AP News reported that Abugharbeih was taken into custody on preliminary charges that include unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment and battery, and it said he was expected to make a first appearance in court Saturday morning.

WPEC reported that during a court hearing on Saturday, prosecutors filed first-degree murder charges against Abugharbieh, and it said he was taken into custody by a SWAT team on Friday following a domestic disturbance call.

As investigators continue, the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to identify the remains found in Pinellas County, and WPEC said positive identification had yet to be determined.