Human remains have been recovered from a water reservoir in Pinellas County, Florida, in what authorities believe may be connected to the ongoing case involving missing Bangladeshi doctoral student Nahida Sultana Brishti. However, officials say the identity has not yet been confirmed, and an autopsy is currently underway.
At 8:43 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office issued an urgent update stating that human remains were recovered from a body of water near Interstate 275 and 4th Street North in Pinellas County. The recovery operation was conducted jointly with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. The remains have been transported to the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office, where identification is pending.
This development comes days after the body of Bangladeshi doctoral student Jamil Limon was recovered near the Howard Frankland Bridge. His death has been officially ruled a homicide. His roommate, Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh, has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of both Jamil and
Brishti. While Jamil’s death has been confirmed, Brishti’s body has not yet been formally identified.
Investigators consider the latest recovery site significant. Interstate 275 serves as a major corridor connecting Tampa to St. Petersburg and Pinellas County and is located near the Howard Frankland Bridge. Prior location data from Jamil’s phone and movements linked to the suspect’s vehicle had already drawn investigative attention to this area.
Authorities emphasize that this remains an active and ongoing investigation. Officials have stated that no identity will be released until confirmation is made by the medical examiner.
The Bangladesh Embassy, both families, and members of the Bangladeshi community across the United States—from New York to Florida—are anxiously awaiting confirmation. The families have been enduring immense distress for more than two weeks since the disappearance of their loved ones.
According to investigators, suspicion quickly turned toward Abugharbieh after Jamil and Brishti went missing on April 16. Evidence gathered from surveillance, phone records, and forensic analysis has formed the basis of the charges.
Witness accounts indicate that Brishti was last in contact with a friend at 2:14 p.m. on the day she disappeared, asking for her glasses to be brought to her. Surveillance footage later showed her leaving her office building on the University of South Florida campus around noon. Items belonging to her—including shoes and an umbrella—were later found inside
Jamil’s apartment.
Phone tracking data shows that Jamil’s device remained near his residence for several hours before moving toward the Courtney Campbell Causeway and later into Clearwater. Investigators also matched the timing of these movements with the suspect’s white Hyundai Genesis G80.
Additional evidence recovered from the apartment complex included blood-stained items, personal belongings of both victims, and forensic matches linking DNA evidence to Jamil and Brishti. Investigators also found blood patterns inside the apartment consistent with violence and body movement.
Digital evidence from the suspect’s phone revealed prior online searches and purchases, including duct tape, trash bags, and other materials, as well as disturbing queries related to disposing of a body and evading detection.
On April 24, authorities recovered Jamil Limon’s remains from a black trash bag near the bridge. The cause of death was determined to be multiple sharp-force injuries, and the manner of death was ruled homicide.
Search efforts for Brishti continue, with investigators now working to determine whether the newly recovered remains belong to her. Officials say identification will be confirmed following the completion of forensic examination.
