Prosecutors in Florida will seek the death penalty against Hisham Abugharbieh, the man accused of murdering two Bangladeshi PhD students, Jamil Limon and Nahida Brishti, in Tampa, United States.
State Attorney Suzy Lopez informed the court of the decision at a hearing on Monday, May 18, at the Hillsborough County Circuit Court, saying prosecutors intend to pursue capital punishment in the case.
Through his attorney, Abugharbieh pleaded not guilty to all seven charges brought by the grand jury.
The decision to seek the death penalty rests in part on evidence that investigators say points to careful preparation. Court documents lay out a timeline of online orders, purchases and searches in the nine days before the killings, which prosecutors are expected to argue show the murders were premeditated.
Who were Jamil Limon and Nahida Brishti?
Limon and Brishti were both doctoral researchers at the University of South Florida and lived in the Tampa area.
According to investigators, they were killed on April 16, 2026. Both bodies were later found placed inside garbage bags in the Tampa Bay area.
Limon's body was found on the Howard Frankland Bridge. Brishti's body was discovered by a kayaker in the water near Interstate 275 and 4th Street North in nearby St. Petersburg, just south of where Limon's body was recovered.
Chad Chronister, Sheriff of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, described the killings as "pure evil."
What evidence suggests the murders were premeditated?
Investigators said evidence suggests the suspect had been gathering materials days before the murders. Court documents lay out the following timeline:
- April 7: the accused ordered duct tape online.
- April 11: he allegedly purchased charcoal, fire starters, lighter fluid and heavy-duty trash bags.
- April 13: he searched OpenAI's ChatGPT for information related to concealing a human body and violence, according to investigators.
- April 15: a fake beard was delivered to him, one day before the killings.
Investigators believe these activities could serve as important evidence indicating that the murders may have been premeditated.
The alleged sequence — restraints, fire-making supplies, disposal bags, incriminating searches and finally a disguise — forms the core of the prosecution's case that the killings were planned rather than spontaneous.
How has the Bangladeshi community reacted?
The case has deeply shocked the Bangladeshi community in the United States and sparked widespread discussion within Florida's Bangladeshi community and academic circles.
Community leaders have expressed condolences to the victims' families and called for a swift and transparent judicial process.
When will the Hisham Abugharbieh death penalty trial begin?
The judge in Hillsborough County has tentatively scheduled the trial to begin on November 3, 2027. The next status conference in the case is set for December 10, 2026.
Abugharbieh is currently being held without bond in the Hillsborough County Jail.
The motive for the killings and any relationship between the accused and the victims have not been made public. It is also not yet known whether the defence will seek to suppress the digital evidence — including the alleged ChatGPT searches — or change the plea before trial.
For now, the case moves toward the December status conference, the first of many court dates expected before a jury is seated in late 2027.