Suspect in Murders of USF Doctoral Students Allegedly Used ChatGPT to Plan Body Disposal
Prosecutors have revealed chilling new evidence against Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, the man accused of murdering two University of South Florida doctoral students. According to court documents filed over the weekend, Abugharbieh allegedly used the AI chatbot ChatGPT to research methods for disposing of human remains just days before the victims vanished.
Investigators discovered digital evidence showing that on the night of April 13, the suspect asked the AI: “What happens if a human is put in a black garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster?”. When the chatbot flagged the query as dangerous, Abugharbieh reportedly followed up by asking, "How would they find out?". Additional searches included inquiries about changing a vehicle's VIN number and whether he could legally keep a firearm without a license.
The victims, Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27-year-old PhD students from Bangladesh, were reported missing on April 17. Limon’s body was recovered on April 24 near the Howard Frankland Bridge; an autopsy confirmed he died from "multiple sharp force injuries". While Bristy remains officially missing, authorities have told her family they believe she is also deceased due to significant blood evidence found at the apartment Limon shared with the suspect.
Further evidence cited by prosecutors includes:
Witness Testimony: A third roommate reported seeing Abugharbieh using a cart to move heavy cardboard boxes from his room to the apartment’s trash compactor late on the night of April 16.
Physical Evidence: Inside that compactor, detectives found Limon’s wallet, ID, and blood-stained clothing.
Forensic Clues: Blood trails were found leading from the kitchen to Abugharbieh’s bedroom, where two "human-sized" bloodstains were discovered on the carpet.
Abugharbieh was arrested following a SWAT standoff on April 24 and is currently held without bond on two counts of premeditated first-degree murder. Florida’s Attorney General has since expanded an existing investigation into whether AI platforms like ChatGPT are providing dangerous advice that facilitates violent crimes.
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