The Brief
- The death penalty case involves the murders of USF doctoral students Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon, which have been consolidated into a single trial.
- Investigators found detailed search histories showing the suspect, Hashim Abugarbieh, allegedly turned to ChatGPT for ideas on how to dispose of a human body.
TAMPA, Fla. – Hashim Abugarbieh, the man accused of killing two USF doctoral students, is being arraigned on Monday.
Florida capital sentencing prosecution
What we know:
The double murders of USF doctoral students Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon have been consolidated into one case, meaning Abugarbieh will face a single trial for both deaths. He faces a total of eight charges in this death penalty case.
PREVIOUS: Suspect in USF students’ murders indicted by grand jury, State Attorney seeking death penalty
Florida updated its death penalty requirements in 2023, allowing capital sentencing if two specific criteria are met: a premeditated first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances, and a suspect accused of multiple murders in a single incident or over time. Prosecutors filed a legal notice stating the crime was cold, calculated, and premeditated, that it was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel, and that Abugarbieh has a prior violent felony conviction. …