The families of University of South Florida doctoral students Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy issued a joint statement demanding the “highest possible punishment” for the man accused of their murders.

Limon and Bristy, Bangladeshi nationals who studied at USF under a visa, were reported missing by USF police last week. A relative said the two students were close friends who talked about having a future together, but were not officially dating.

By Friday, April 24, Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Frankland Bridge.

“I miss everything about him: his smile, his anger, his fight with me,” said Limon’s brother, Zubaer Ahmed. “I remember everything. Yeah. I just wanted to know that he is very hardworking, kind and full of dreams.”

Limon’s roommate, 26-year-old Hisham Abugharbieh, was arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in the case and a separate domestic violence situation.

Saturday, Abugharbieh was charged with first-degree murder in both students’ deaths. In the search for Bristy, deputies from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties located human remains in the waterways near Interstate 275 and 4th Street North, but no positive identification has been made as of this report.

According to Limon’s brother, the victim was not close to Abugharbieh but had made others aware of the suspect’s behavior before his death.

This included the Avalon Heights off-campus student housing center, where Limon and Abugharbieh lived with another roommate.

“He barely [knew] Hisham Abugharbieh, but he always informed us that his roommate is kind of unsocial, unpleasant and sort of psychopathic behavior, and he and another roommate, Indian roommate, Rashite, filed a complaint against him,” Ahmed said.

Ahmed later clarified that his brother never referred to his roommate specifically as a psychopathic person. He also did not mean to diagnose Abugharbieh as a psychopath.

The victims’ families requested that Bristy and Limon’s remains be “handled in accordance with Islamic rituals and funeral requirements,” asking that the university help make sure it is done.

The families also demanded that anyone connected to their deaths be brought to justice.

“We demand the highest possible punishment under the law for Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh, along with anyone else who may be connected, and request that the legal process move forward as quickly as possible,” the statement said.

The families also called for legal action against Avalon Heights. In the statement, they said the complex lacked “proper CCTV camera” coverage and had inadequate security to protect residents. Avalon Heights was further accused of assigning a roommate to Limon without proper background checks or informing them of relevant concerns.

“It’s very difficult for international students or students in general to check everyone’s background,” Ahmed said.

The victims’ families said they want to have Bristy and Limon’s personal belongings and finances returned and transferred to their families in Bangladesh. They also requested that a memorial be established in their names to help prevent such tragedies in the future.

“We request the University authority to ensure that their memory is preserved with dignity and respect,” the statement said.

Ahmed said his aunt is in Florida to represent the family during the criminal investigation and transportation of the victims’ remains.