Murder Charges in USF Student Deaths

0:00A 26-year-old man named Hisham Abhagarbi faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon in the deaths of two university, of South Florida doctoral students. The victims, Zameel Lemon and the heat of Bristol, both 27 and from Bangladesh, vanished on April 16th. He's looking at other charges too, and conviction could mean the death penalty. Bodies turned up over the weekend, one with multiple stab wounds on the Howard Franklin Bridge, identified as Lemon, and another in nearby mangroves, still awaiting ID. The three shared an off-campus apartment at Avalon Heights, a spot approved for USF students along with the third roommate. Leimon and Bristol were even talking marriage, according to Family, making this hit even harder. Leimon's brother says they flagged Abhagarbi's criminal history to the complex, but management blew it off. Now the family wants USF to sue them over. SWA raided his parents' house just days ago to nap him.

1:00Tuesday at 9am, there's a status conference in court. The original pre-trial hearing got bumped. Prosecutors haven't said if they'll push for death row yet, but this case is shaking up campus safety talks and roommate vetting in Tampa. Stay tuned as it unfolds. Local news, powered by AI, this is Tampa Bay News, today.