Family and friends of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy are calling for justice and remembering the two lives cut short as the suspect remains jailed without bond.
TAMPA, Fla. — The man accused of killing two University of South Florida (USF) students will remain in jail without bond as the case moves forward.
During a brief hearing, a judge formally imposed a no-bond status for Hisham Abugharbieh, who is facing multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder. Abugharbieh did not appear in court, but his public defender said he is waiving his right to a pretrial bond hearing.
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About a dozen friends of the victims filled the courtroom — standing in for families who are unable to be there.
“We are shocked that the place that is our safe place, our homes, our own kitchens — they were murdered there,” said Rifatul Islam, a friend of the victims.
Friends say they plan to attend every hearing, supporting the victims’ families who are grieving in Bangladesh, nearly 9,000 miles away.
“It is a lot to process because, see, when we come here, thousands of miles away from home, they are our family, our everything here,” Islam said.
Zamil Limon’s brother, Zubaer Ahmed, said both families are struggling to process the loss, and if he had one more chance to speak to his brother, he knows exactly what he would say.
“You were the best brother I could have,” Ahmed said. “You were very supportive from the very beginning. You encouraged me to study a lot, concentrate, be a better person.”
He wants people to remember both Limon and Nahida Bristy as they were: driven and full of promise.
“I want people to know both of them, my brother and Nahida, were bright, hardworking, jolly and they always put a smile on their face,” Ahmed said.
According to Ahmed, both came to the United States to build a future.
“They are full of dreams. They came to the United States to build a better future, and their lives matter,” he said.
Limon was randomly paired with Abugharbieh as a roommate just two months ago. Ahmed said his brother raised concerns early on.
“From the very beginning, he shared with us that roommate is very unpleasant, unsocial,” Ahmed said.
He added that Limon and another roommate filed a complaint after learning about Abugharbieh’s prior criminal record.
“He and his other roommate filed a complaint against Hisham when they came to know that he had prior criminal record,” Ahmed said.
Now, the family is calling for accountability — both in the courtroom and from the housing system that placed the roommates together.
Meanwhile, Ahmed is preparing to follow in his brother’s footsteps. He said he has applied to a teaching assistantship at Texas Tech University this fall, though returning to the U.S. will be difficult.
“Breathing the same air is very difficult for me, but my brother also wanted me to be a professor someday. So it’s also his dream to see me as a successful person and having a contribution in society,” he said.
Despite the loss, Ahmed says his brother continues to inspire him and would tell him, “Thank you for everything.”
State Attorney Suzy Lopez said prosecutors plan to take the case before a grand jury on May 7. At that point, they anticipate an indictment and an arraignment will be set for Abugharbieh to enter his pleas.
Lopez said her office is still determining whether to seek the death penalty. Ahmed said his family supports the death penalty and has faith in the justice system as the case moves forward.