The mystery surrounding two missing University of South Florida doctoral students has taken a serious turn. The body of Nahida S Bristy, 27, a chemical engineering student from Bangladesh has been found in a Tampa waterway, days after the body of her friend, Zamil Limon was recovered nearby. A suspect is already in custody and here is what we know:
How and where her remains were found?
Bristy’s remains were discovered on Sunday by a kayaker who had gone fishing with a friend near the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa. According to Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, the fisherman had to move deeper into the mangroves to free his snagged line when he noticed something suspicious.
“He has to go further into the mangroves. He smells something as he describes as undescribable,” Chronister said at a press conference. âWhen he went and got closer to remove his fishing line, he sees that a plastic bag has been opened, there’s been salt water in there, he can’t tell what it is, but it looks like a human body. He does the right thing and contacts law enforcement,â as per New York Post.
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Her identity was confirmed through DNA, dental records and the clothing she was last seen wearing on surveillance video. “We were able to confirm DNA, some dental work that she had done, and the clothing that she still had on from the video that we saw,” Chronister said.
Those who knew her said her disappearance was completely out of character. Her family in Bangladesh told NBC News: “The students’ families said they would never go offline or willingly disappear.”
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What happened to the students?
Bristy’s body was found just days after that of her 27-year-old boyfriend, Zamil Limon whose remains were discovered in a black trash bag in the same general area on April 22. Limon appeared to have been stabbed multiple times and was found with his hands and ankles bound, according to the sheriff.
Both students were originally from Bangladesh and were last seen alive on April 16, Limon at his apartment near the USF campus around 9am, and Bristy on campus about an hour later. A family friend reported them missing the following day after being unable to reach either of them.
Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh, Limon’s roommate and a former USF student has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with both deaths. He was earlier arrested on charges including tampering with evidence, failure to report a death and unlawfully moving a dead body.