Suspect in murder of USF students asked ChatGPT about putting person in a dumpster, report says
The man accused of killing two University of South Florida doctoral students had asked ChatGPT about putting a person in a trash bag and throwing their body in a dumpster just days before they went missing, according to a report.
Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his roommate, Zamil Limon, and Limon’s friend, Nahida Bristy, both 27. Limon’s body was found on Friday, while Bristy remains missing.
Prosecutors say that Abugharbieh asked ChatGPT about putting a person in the dumpster on the night of April 13, three days before Limon and Bristy were last seen alive, according to court documents obtained by NBC News.
“What happens if a human has a put in a black garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster,” prosecutors say Abugharbieh asked the AI chatbot.
ChatGPT replied that the inquiry sounded dangerous, to which Abugharbieh wrote back: “How would they find out,” according to the report.
Limon and Bristy, both from Bangladesh, went missing within about an hour of each other on April 16. The two had previously dated, according to the report
Limon, who was pursuing a Ph.D. in geography, environmental science and policy, was last seen around 9 a.m. at his apartment a few blocks from campus. Meanwhile, Bristy, a doctoral student in chemical engineering who lived on campus, was last seen about an hour later at the university’s Natural and Environmental Sciences Building.
Investigators said Abugharbieh, who studied business management at the university from 2021 to 2023, was identified as a person of interest during their investigation.
In court document obtained by NBC, which was filed Saturday to keep Abugharbieh behind bars while awaiting trial, prosecutors also shared other alleged details about the case.
A roommate of Abugharbieh told investigators that he was seen moving cardboard boxes from his room to a compactor dumpster at their apartment complex on April 17, a day after Limon and Bristy went missing, the filing reportedly stated.
After searching the dumpster, investigators found items belonging to Limon, including a student ID and credit cards in his name, according to the filings.
Prosecutors also note in the filing that Abugharbieh claimed to have given Limon and Bristy a ride to Clearwater on the day they were last seen. Investigators claim that Abugharbieh bought trash bags, Lysol wipes and Febreeze that night.
Investigators also told Bristy’s family that, based on the volume of blood discovered at Abugharbieh’s residence, which he shared with Limon, she is also likely dead, CBS News reported over the weekend.
Limon’s remains were found Friday morning on the Howard Frankland Bridge, which spans Old Tampa Bay between Tampa and St. Petersburg, about 20 miles from his off-campus home near the university, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer.
