Unidentified human remains recovered by deputies near area where body of missing USF student was found

After hours of searching in the water near the Howard Frankland Bridge, deputies said they recovered human remains from the waterways.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hillsborough County deputies said they recovered human remains from the waterways near I-275 and 4th Street North, after deputies spent hours Sunday searching near the site where the remains of one of the missing University of South Florida students were found earlier this week.

The body has not yet been identified, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office is now investigating, deputies added.

Marine units from both the Hillsborough and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Offices spent several hours Sunday combing the mangroves and surrounding waterways near the bridge by boat, helicopter, and on foot. A body bag was carried into dense brush by the medical examiner, and evidence bags were removed from the scene.

This comes as the search for one of the two missing USF students, Nahida Bristy, continues.

USF police said Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy were last seen on April 16. 

Zamil Limon‘s remains were found on the Howard Frankland Bridge, near the area where deputies were searching on Sunday.

After deputies found Limon’s body on Friday, authorities arrested his roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, who is now facing multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder. He had his first court appearance on Saturday and is being held at the Falkenburg Road Jail with no bond.

The heavy law enforcement presence today drew attention from residents and passersby in the typically quiet St. Petersburg stretch.

“This amount of cops, yes. We’re not used to having this kind of trouble,” said Arnaud Utille, who lives nearby. “This area of St. Pete is usually very calm, so we were surprised.”

Utille was driving with his friend Kerim Jakupovic when they both reflected on the unsettling nature of the scene. “It proves that anything can happen anywhere,” Jakupovic said. “You never know what’s going to happen.”

Limon was a doctoral student pursuing a degree in geography, environmental science and policy. Bristy is a doctoral student studying chemical engineering.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Authorities are asking anyone with information on Bristy’s whereabouts to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200.

The investigation is still ongoing, deputies added.