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Published : 27 Apr 2026, 08:08 PM
A man accused of killing two Bangladeshi doctoral students at the University of South Florida allegedly asked ChatGPT about placing a person in a rubbish bag and disposing of them in a dumpster, according to a court filing cited by NBC News.
Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, faces first-degree murder charges over the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27.
Limon, whose body was found on Friday, had been living with Abugharbieh, a former USF student.
In a motion filed on Saturday seeking to keep Abugharbieh in custody pending trial, prosecutors alleged that he questioned ChatGPT on the night of Apr 13, three days before Limon and Bristy were last seen alive.
According to NBC News, prosecutors said Abugharbieh asked the chatbot what would happen if a person were placed in a black rubbish bag and thrown into a dumpster.
The filing said ChatGPT responded that it “sounded dangerous”, after which Abugharbieh allegedly asked how such an act might be discovered.
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
A roommate told investigators he saw Abugharbieh moving cardboard boxes from his room to a compactor dumpster at their apartment complex on Apr 17.
A search of the dumpster uncovered items belonging to Limon, including a student ID and credit cards bearing his name, NBC News reported.
DNA analysis of a grey T-shirt found in the dumpster indicated it likely belonged to Limon, while testing on a kitchen mat matched Bristy, according to the filing.
Investigators later recovered Limon’s remains in a heavy-duty trash bag. His death was preliminarily ruled a homicide caused by multiple sharp-force injuries, citing an autopsy.
The motion said there was no indication that Bristy was still alive, and investigators believe Abugharbieh also disposed of her body, NBC News reported.
Members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office marine and dive teams searched the area near the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa, Florida, on Friday.
Human remains were discovered on Sunday during the search for Bristy, although they have not yet been identified, the sheriff’s office was quoted as saying.
Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive.
Prosecutors said Abugharbieh claimed he had driven Limon and Bristy to Clearwater on Apr 16, the last day they were seen alive.
Investigators also alleged that he bought rubbish bags, disinfectant wipes and air freshener that evening. Blood was later found inside his apartment, according to the filing.
They further alleged that he discarded several items, including Bristy’s pink phone case.
During questioning, Abugharbieh initially denied knowing where Limon and Bristy were and claimed they had never been in his car, the filing said.
He later changed his account after being confronted with data linking both his car and Limon’s phone to Clearwater, NBC News reported.
He then told detectives he had dropped them off in Clearwater after Limon asked for a ride, but did not explain why, prosecutors said.
Location data showed that on Apr 17 Abugharbieh drove to the Howard Frankland Bridge and stopped there, where Limon’s body was later found, NBC News reported.
Court records show he also faces charges including battery, false imprisonment, failure to report a death, improper storage of remains and evidence tampering.
He is being held without bond at Falkenburg Road Jail, with a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
Family members told NBC News that Limon and Bristy had previously been in a relationship.
In a joint statement, their families said they hoped the bodies would be handled in accordance with Islamic funeral practices. They also expressed a wish for the university to establish a memorial in their names.
In a separate statement, USF said it was mourning the loss of Bristy and Limon and remained committed to student safety and wellbeing.
