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to locate her body.

Both were last seen on April 16 near the USF campus in Tampa. A family friend reported them missing the following day, triggering a search that expanded into a criminal probe involving multiple agencies.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Marine and Dive teams were seen searching the water near the Howard Frankland Bridge for Bristy on Friday.

A medical examiner is still determining Limon’s cause of death and may share autopsy results soon, Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.

“This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement on Friday.

Abugharbieh was arrested Friday morning after law enforcement was called to his home for a reported domestic violence incident, according to Maurer.

In addition to the murder charges, Abugharbieh is facing charges of unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death with intent to conceal, tampering with physical evidence, false imprisonment, and battery, the sheriff’s office had said.

‘NO LONGER WITH US’

For their families back home, the unfolding details have been devastating.

Although police have yet to recover Bristy’s body, authorities informed her family she is believed dead.

Her brother Jahid Hassan Pranto told The Daily Star that police contacted him early Friday, saying forensic evidence indicated two victims.

“Police informed us that the amount of blood they found at the suspect’s apartment was from two bodies,” he said.

Pranto added that authorities have not yet issued an official confirmation of her death but told family members they are awaiting forensic reports and may make an announcement soon.

In a Facebook post, Pranto yesterday wrote, “My sister is no longer with us. Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun.”

‘PANTA‑ILISH’

Limon’s mother, Lutfun Haque, recalled her son’s last call on Pahela Baishakh, April 14, when he simply asked whether she had eaten panta‑ilish.

“My last conversation with my son was on Pahela Baishakh. He was always under pressure from his studies, so we did not talk much. That day he called and just asked whether I had eaten panta‑ilish. I have no strength left to say anything more,” she said through tears.

She added that the shock of his death has left her physically unwell. The family requested their location not be disclosed for security reasons. Limon’s father, Zahurul Haque, is also seriously ill.

Limon grew up in Mawa, Dhaka, with his ancestral home in Madarganj, Jamalpur. His friend Jasim Uddin remembered him as bright and soft‑spoken.

His sudden death has cast a pall of grief over the family and relatives.

‘TALK OF MARRIAGE’

Limon had spoken highly of Bristy to his family in Bangladesh, telling them the pair had discussed the possibility of marriage, his brother Zubaer Ahmed told CNN.

“He shared that she is a good girl, and she has a lot of talent, like she can sing and cook well,” Ahmed, the brother, said.

Limon had been hard at work on his thesis for the past two years, studying how to use generative AI to monitor shrinking wetland in South Florida, his brother said.

“My brother is very decent and a very simple person,” Ahmed said. “He always put a smile on his face.”

After completing his PhD, Limon wanted to return to Bangladesh and get a job as a university professor, Ahmed said.

THE SUSPECT

Hisham Abugharbieh has emerged as the central figure in the investigation.

Investigators brought the suspect under early scrutiny due to his proximity to the case and inconsistencies during questioning. While initially cooperative during two interviews, Abugharbieh stopped engaging with law enforcement on Thursday.

By Friday, authorities said they were able to “link the suspect to this case and to (Limon’s) body,” reports CNN.

University officials told Newsweek that Abugharbieh, who pursued a management degree between the spring 2021 and spring 2023 semesters, was not enrolled at the time of his arrest.

Hillsborough County court records show his criminal history includes several 2023 battery charges and a burglary case. Court documents further reveal a pattern of domestic unrest. In filings, his brother alleged Abugharbieh attacked both him and their mother during an argument. A judge previously granted a domestic violence injunction against him, though it later expired.

The arrest took place at the family home following a domestic violence call. After barricading himself inside, the suspect surrendered peacefully to a SWAT team and crisis negotiators, authorities said.