A man charged with killing two University of South Florida doctoral students from Bangladesh allegedly asked the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT about what happens if a person is placed in a garbage bag and thrown into a dumpster, according to prosecutors in a court filing.
Details of the Charges
Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, has been charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon in the deaths of his roommate, Zamil Limon, 27, and Limon’s girlfriend, Nahida Bristy, 27, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced on Saturday.
Abugharbieh, a former USF student, was Limon’s off-campus roommate. Limon’s remains were discovered on Friday morning “within numerous black utility trash bags in advanced stages of decomposition” on the Howard Frankland Bridge over Tampa Bay.
As of Saturday morning, Bristy was still missing. However, prosecutors stated in the Saturday filing that “no evidence has been uncovered during the course of the investigation to support any probability Nahida Bristy remains alive.” The students disappeared from the USF campus on 16 April.
Investigation and Allegations
During the missing persons investigation, deputies identified Abugharbieh as Limon’s roommate. He was arrested on Friday after authorities responded to a domestic violence call at his family’s home.
Prosecutors allege that on 7 April, Abugharbieh ordered duct tape online, and on 11 April, he also ordered fire starter, charcoal, trash bags, and lighter fuel, according to court documents seen by the Guardian.
On 13 April, he allegedly asked ChatGPT: “What happens if a human has a [sic] put in a black garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster.” The filing states that ChatGPT responded that it sounded dangerous, to which Abugharbieh allegedly replied: “How would they find out.”
Two days later, on 15 April, he reportedly asked ChatGPT: “Can a VIN number on a car be changed?” and “Can you keep a gun at home without a license.” Then on 17 April, prosecutors allege he asked: “Are cars checked at the Hillsborough River state park.”
Roommate’s Observations
Prosecutors also say in the filing that another roommate of Abugharbieh and Limon told investigators that between the night of 16 April and the morning of 17 April, they observed Abugharbieh using a gray rolling trolley cart to “move multiple cardboard boxes from within Hisham’s room to the compactor dumpster on site.” When asked about the cart and boxes, Abugharbieh said he removed old clothing he no longer wanted.
Authorities later searched the compactor and found a wallet containing a student ID and a visa card belonging to Limon, along with other items.
Further Developments
On Sunday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reported that human remains had been recovered from the waterways of Tampa Bay, though they have not yet been identified.
Court records show that Abugharbieh, a US citizen, made an initial court appearance on Saturday and was ordered held without bond. A hearing was scheduled for 28 April at 9 am.
In the court filing, it states that during an interview with investigators, Abugharbieh denied “having any involvement in the disappearance of Zamila Limon and Nahida Bristy.” The Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office, which has been appointed to represent him, declined to comment on the case.
OpenAI, which operates ChatGPT, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive for the killings.
