The body of a missing university student has been discovered stuffed inside a trash bag on the Tampa shoreline, just days after her partner was found dead in similar circumstances on a nearby bridge.

Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon, both 27-year-old doctoral students at the University of South Florida, had been missing since April 26 when Limon's body was first discovered in a trash bag on the Howard Frankland Bridge.

Bristy's body was confirmed by Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister at a press conference on Sunday (May 3) to have been found in similarly horrifying circumstances by a fisherman.

A man has been charged in connection with both deaths.

How Nahida Bristy was found

According to Sheriff Chronister, the discovery was made by a man who had been kayak fishing with a friend in waters near Tampa.

One of the kayakers' fishing lines became caught on something in the water. As the man approached to free it, he noticed an overpowering smell.

"He has to go further into the mangroves," Chronister told reporters at the press conference. "He smells something as he describes as indescribable, and when he went and got closer to removing his fishing line, he sees that a plastic bag has been opened, there's been saltwater in there, he can't tell what it is, but it looks like a human body."

The fisherman called police. Bristy was later identified through forensic examination, with the arrest affidavit noting her remains were in an "advanced stage of decomposition."

"We have located Nahida Bristy. We have contacted her family," Chronister said. "We are now actively working to release both bodies for religious reasons back to the families who live in Bangladesh."

Nahida Bristy. Credit: Facebook

The grim story so far

Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon, both originally from Bangladesh, had been pursuing doctoral studies at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

The couple were last seen on April 26.

According to court filings, on the day they disappeared they had been given a ride from Tampa to Clearwater by Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, who was Limon's roommate at the time and a former USF student himself.

Later that same day, prosecutors allege Abugharbieh purchased trash bags and cleaning supplies. Location data is also said to show him driving to the Howard Frankland Bridge and stopping along it.

Limon's body was discovered on the bridge a week later.

Investigators allege both victims had been stabbed multiple times. According to Sheriff Chronister, Limon had been "left on the side of the highway like a piece of trash."

The motive remains under investigation.

The accused

Hisham Abugharbieh has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the deaths and remains in custody pending trial.

Prosecutors have argued he should not be granted bail due to what the sheriff described as the "brutal and violent nature" of the alleged crimes.

He has not yet entered a plea.

Sheriff Chronister did not hold back at Sunday's press conference, describing the suspect as "pure evil."

"The details of this investigation are gruesome, and the actions of the suspect are nothing short of pure evil," he said.

Abugharbieh is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.

Zamil Limon. Credit: Facebook

Tributes to Nahida

Bristy's brother Zahid Pranto paid an emotional tribute to his sister following the news of her death.

"She was the perfect sister. She was the perfect daughter of her family," he said.

He added that Bristy had dreamed of returning home to Bangladesh after completing her doctorate to "do something big and contribute to society."

The University of South Florida has not yet released a formal statement, but the deaths have shaken the campus community and the wider Bangladeshi student diaspora in the United States.

It's the latest in a string of tragedies to hit US university campuses in recent months, and one that has left two grieving families in Bangladesh waiting for their children to be brought home.

Now, the focus turns to the courts, where Abugharbieh is set to face trial for both deaths.

A Florida student has died after being fatally shot by a woman he had pulled over to help, police have revealed.

As reported by NBC News, the Clay County Sheriff's Office has revealed that 22-year-old college student Adam Simjee was traveling through Alabama with his girlfriend, Mikayla Paulus, last Sunday.

The couple - both students at the University of Central Florida - was driving through Talladega National Forest near Cheaha State Park when they spotted a woman signaling for help at the side of the road.

The woman - identified by authorities as suspect Yasmine Hider - informed the couple that her car had broken down.

However, the sheriff said Hider was actually intending to rob the couple and "produced a gun and made the couple walk back into the woods".

A gunfight then broke out when Simjee pulled a concealed handgun of his own. Authorities say Simjee fired in self-defense and was able to wound Hider "multiple times". Even so, Simjee was also shot by Hider and died at the scene.

His girlfriend, Paulus, then dialed 911 and informed authorities that Hider was with another woman.

Eventually, Hider and the other woman were found by searchers at their camp roughly half a mile away. The sheriff says the suspects had been "living off the grid". The second suspect was named as Krystal Diane Pinkins.

Pinkins' five-year-old child was also found at the camp.

When officers ordered Pinkins to the ground, "a 5-year-old child ran from the woods holding a loaded shotgun", the sheriff revealed. "Law enforcement told the child to put the shotgun down however the child continued to the female's location before laying the gun on the ground."

NBC reports that jail records show that 36-year-old Pinkins was booked into custody on suspicion of endangering the welfare of a child, murder, two counts of kidnapping, and two counts of robbery. Meanwhile, the sheriff has stated that Hider was transported to a hospital in Birmingham and will eventually be jailed on suspicion of murder, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of robbery.

Following Simjee's death, a GoFundMe was launched in an attempt to cover his funeral costs and help Paulus with counseling and "other expenses as she tries to move forward."

The fundraiser was launched by Pilar Renteria, who writes in the description: "Due to the investigation and upcoming court proceedings, we can no longer share the details of what occurred. We can tell you that Adam was an intelligent, hard-working, humble, and loving human being. He was taken from us on Sunday afternoon while traveling with his girlfriend of 4 years, Mikayla.

"Adam was just 22. He had his whole life ahead of him with Mikayla. With them being so young, no one prepares for things like this, especially at such a young age."

More than $15,000 has been raised, as of this writing.

Featured image credit: Facebook/GoFundMe

A week-long search for missing Texas teenager Camila Mendoza Olmos has ended in tragedy after authorities discovered a body in tall grass near her family’s San Antonio home.

The 19-year-old vanished after leaving her house on foot early Christmas Eve morning, sparking urgent appeals and a large-scale search involving local deputies, the FBI and federal agencies.

Per News 4 San Antonio, the discovery has left her family reeling, particularly her mother Rosario Olmos, who was heard repeating the words, “So close to home,” after learning where the body was found.

Investigators say the remains resemble Camila, though DNA testing has not yet been completed to formally confirm her identity.

Police located the body late Tuesday night at Burnin' Bush, a landscaping business situated almost directly behind the Olmos family residence.

A firearm was also found nearby, adding another layer to the investigation as authorities work to determine exactly what happened.

Body discovered close to where Camila vanished

Bexar County sheriff’s deputies and FBI agents said the body was found in a dense patch of grass during a renewed search of the area.

A 9mm Luger pistol was located nearby, the same type of weapon Camila’s brother Carlos reported missing from their home shortly after she disappeared.

Although DNA tests are still pending, a sheriff’s source told the Daily Mail that the remains match Camila’s description.

Authorities had earlier said they feared the teenager could be in “imminent danger” after she went missing, prompting assistance from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.

Frank Trevino, 69, a retired insurance salesman who helped lead search efforts, described the moment Rosario Olmos learned of the discovery.

“Her eyes were not there,” he told the Daily Mail, adding that she stared at a wall while repeating, “So close to home.”

Credit: Instagram.

Questions remain about what happened

It remains unclear how Camila died, though Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said deputies do not currently believe foul play was involved and are considering self-harm as a possibility.

“We developed some information that there may have been some suicidal ideations on Camila's part,” Salazar said.

“Undiagnosed, as far as we can tell. It sounds like this was a young person going through a very tough time in her life, going through some emotional issues.”

Camila’s family has pushed back strongly against that suggestion. Her father, Alfonso Mendoza, told the Daily Mail, “She would never do something like that her herself, to us. She just wouldn't. Not ever.”

Her mother also disputed claims that a recent breakup may have contributed.

“People talk. But they don't know my daughter like I do,” she said, explaining that the relationship ended amicably.

“It ended on good terms, in a lovely way,” she said, adding it “wasn't something she was depressed about.”

Last known movements before her disappearance

Surveillance footage obtained by KENS5 showed Camila leaving her San Antonio neighborhood just before 7am, wearing a hoodie and pyjama shorts.

Investigators said she appeared to be searching inside her parked car for an unidentified item before the video abruptly ended.

Her car was left behind, leading police to believe she walked away with only her keys and possibly her driver’s license.

Camila Mendoza Olmos. Credit: Instagram.

Dashboard camera video later showed someone matching her description walking alone northbound on Wildhorse Parkway a few blocks from her home.

Camila, who lived with her mother and attended classes at Northwest Vista College, was known to take morning walks but usually brought her phone, which was found turned off on her bed.

Rosario Olmos recalled waking to find her daughter gone.

“I called her cell phone, but the cell phone was there on the bed and it was turned off,” she told KENS 5.

“I put it to charge and went out to look for her. I thought I would find her like other times - walking - and we would come home together.”

As the search stretched on, friends, volunteers and extended family from California and Mexico joined efforts around nearby neighborhoods, vacant lots and creeks.

“Giving up is not an option,” Rosario told the Daily Mail before the discovery.

Following the news, family and friends were seen sobbing inside the family home.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.

Featured image credit: Instagram

Authorities in Florida have released new details surrounding the tragic death of 18-year-old Giovanni Pelletier, whose body was discovered in a pond one week after he went missing during a family trip. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office shared fresh evidence this week, including video footage of the teen in his final moments, while stressing that no signs of foul play have been found.

According to Sheriff Rick Wells, Giovanni was picked up around 1:30 a.m. on August 1 by his paternal cousin and two of the cousin’s friends. Although Giovanni had spoken with his cousin by text, he had never met the two friends in person before that night. The group set off toward Brevard County, and during the ride, messages revealed Giovanni discussing smoking marijuana, mentioning that he “hadn’t had a smoke in a while because of court stuff” in North Carolina but was eager to take part.

Not long after, the three men told investigators that Giovanni began behaving erratically once they smoked in the car. They described him as “acting out and raging,” before he suddenly became agitated. Around 1:55 a.m., Giovanni sent his mother three desperate text messages in quick succession: “Help,” followed by “Help” and “Me.”

One of the friends told deputies that Giovanni declared: “I am a demon and I will wreck this car and kill you all,” while trying to open the door as the vehicle was still moving. Concerned, the group pulled over, noting that Giovanni carried a knife, . However, Sheriff Wells confirmed the blade was never drawn and remained in its sheath.

At that point, Giovanni bolted from the vehicle. Witnesses said he nearly ran into the path of an oncoming truck before disappearing into the darkness, leaving behind his backpack and phone. New surveillance video played at the press conference showed a truck swerving to avoid striking him on the highway. Additional footage from a nearby Lowe’s captured a figure—believed to be Giovanni—racing down a steep embankment in what Wells described as an “almost uncontrollable sprint.” The pond where his body would later be found lay just beyond that slope, out of the camera’s view.

“The important thing to understand is that Giovanni was alone,” Sheriff Wells told reporters. “No one was chasing him. No one was near him. When he ran down that embankment, the car was already two miles away.”

Giovanni’s backpack and phone were later recovered in Tampa after a truck driver who found them unknowingly took them from the scene. His body was ultimately discovered on August 8 by a private investigator hired by his family, per WFLA News.

The medical examiner has not yet determined a cause of death, pending toxicology results. Sheriff Wells emphasized that Giovanni showed no visible trauma; no gunshot wounds, no stabbings, no evidence of foul play. For now, his death remains classified as undetermined.

“This is a heartbreaking case,” Wells said. “What happened once Giovanni reached that pond, we simply don’t know.”

Featured image credit: Andrew Leyden / Getty Images.