Prosecutors in Florida have revealed that a former University of South Florida student charged with the murders of two Bangladeshi doctoral students consulted the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT about how to dispose of a human body days before the victims vanished.
Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon in the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27 and pursuing PhDs at the Tampa campus. According to a pretrial detention report filed Saturday, Abugharbieh asked the AI platform what would happen if a human body were placed in a garbage bag and thrown into a dumpster. He also inquired about altering his car's VIN and whether he could keep a firearm at home without a license. The chatbot warned that his query sounded dangerous, the report notes.
Authorities discovered Limon's remains Friday morning on the Howard Frankland Bridge, and a second body was found Sunday in a nearby waterway, though identification is pending. The couple, who were reportedly considering marriage, disappeared on April 16. Limon was last seen at the off-campus apartment he shared with Abugharbieh, while Bristy was last spotted at a campus science building.
Investigators found incriminating evidence at the apartment, including blood trails leading from the kitchen to Abugharbieh's bedroom, and blood inside his room. In the trash compactor, they recovered Limon's wallet, campus ID, credit card, eyeglasses, and blood-stained clothes. Bristy's campus ID and credit cards were found in Limon's bedroom, suggesting she had been at the apartment before vanishing.
Cellphone location data and license plate reader records placed both Abugharbieh's car and Limon's phone on the bridge and at Clearwater Beach. That evidence led detectives to a trash bag containing Limon's body near the bridge. The medical examiner determined Limon suffered multiple stab wounds.
Abugharbieh, a USF student from spring 2021 to spring 2023 pursuing a BS in Management but not currently enrolled, was taken into custody Friday at his family's home north of campus after a domestic violence call. He barricaded himself inside, prompting a SWAT response with drones and negotiators, before emerging wearing only a blue towel. He is being held without bond, with a hearing set for Tuesday.
The case has drawn attention to the use of AI in criminal investigations, echoing concerns raised after a recent White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting suspect used ChatGPT to plan an attack. That incident led OpenAI's CEO to apologize for failing to report the suspect's posts to authorities.
Bristy, a chemical engineering PhD candidate, was described by her alma mater, Noakhali Science and Technology University, as a talented and promising student. Limon studied geography, environmental science, and policy. A friend alerted police on April 17 after being unable to reach either victim.
Abugharbieh's attorney, Jennifer Spradley of the Tampa public defender's office, declined to comment on the case.
