True Crime with Kendall Rae
True Crime with Kendall Rae

The USF Double Student Homicide: The Case Of Zamil Limon & Nahida Bristy

August 6, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

On April 16, 2026, two Bangladeshi PhD students at the University of South Florida—Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy—vanished. Within days, their bodies were found discarded in black trash bags, one on the shoulder of the Howard Franklin Bridge and the other in a mangrove swamp. The man charged with their murders, Hisham Abu Garby, was Zamil's own roommate. The case quickly became a national story not only for its brutality but because Garby had used ChatGPT as a kind of criminal planning assistant, asking the AI questions like "How would they find out?" and "Can a knife penetrate a skull?" in the days before and after the killings.

The Disappearances

Both 27-year-olds were described by friends and family as exceptionally responsible. Nahida, a chemical engineering PhD student, spoke to her parents every day. On April 16, she confirmed plans to go grocery shopping with a friend and was last seen on campus surveillance at 12:08 PM, carrying her signature black umbrella. When she didn't show up and stopped answering calls, a mutual friend named Omer alerted USF police on April 17. He also mentioned that Zamil—a geography and environmental science PhD student finalizing his thesis—was unreachable too. Zamil's disappearance was officially reported the next day.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (01:50) **Case Introduction & Initial Shock** - Kendall introduces the disturbing, recent case of two murdered USF PhD students and shows the now-viral video of the suspect in only a towel surrendering to SWAT.
  • 2 (04:17) **The Disappearance & Immediate Concern** - On April 16th, 2026, friends and professors notice that Zamil and Nahida have gone completely silent, a stark departure from their reliable, responsible natures.
  • 3 (06:41) **Police Notified & Early Investigation** - A mutual friend reports Nahida missing to USF police, and the investigation quickly connects her disappearance to Zamil's, as both their phones are off and they are unreachable.
  • 4 (10:23) **Timeline of Last Contacts** - Investigators establish the final communications and sightings of both victims on April 16th, with their phones going silent after a series of calls.
  • 5 (15:54) **The Suspicious Roommate: Hisham Abu Garby** - The roommate, Hisham, immediately raises red flags with his inconsistent statements, including unprompted denials that directly contradict cell phone data.
  • 6 (19:04) **Mounting Evidence & Missing Items** - The other roommate provides key information, including Hisham’s suspicious behavior and missing items from the apartment, leading to a search of the dumpster.
  • 7 (20:33) **Background & Apartment Search** - Hisham’s mother reveals his history of anger issues and violence, while a second search of the apartment uncovers Nahida’s personal belongings in Zamil’s locked bedroom.

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Show Notes

In April 2026, doctoral students Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy were reported missing in Florida. When the pair could no longer be reached, friends and loved ones feared the worst. As police pieced together their final movements, the search for answers sent shockwaves through the University of South Florida community and left many questions that are still being answered today.

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