Elizabeth Tamilore Odunsi, Houston nursing student stabbed to death by her roommate, Chester Grant over fight over cats. British woman was just days away from graduating from Texas school.
A British woman who came to study at a Houston nursing school was stabbed to death by her roommate following a disagreement over cats. The victim died just days shy from graduation.
Elizabeth Tamilore Odunsi, 23, according to local press was killed by her roommate last weekend. Moments later, the suspect, Chester Grant, 40, reportedly tried to take his own life after the incident.
The deadly stabbing happened on April 26 at an apartment on Goforth Street in Houston’s south side. Odunsi was found lying on the kitchen floor with multiple stab wounds according to KHOU 11.
Murdered Houston nursing student was days away from graduating
Grant is alleged to have stabbed the 23 year old to death after the two roommates getting into an argument a few days earlier about the cats that they both kept in the unit. The conflict reportedly snowballed — which led to the fatal stabbing.
Odunsi was pronounced dead at the scene while Grant was found in a separate part of the apartment with self inflicted wounds, the BBC reported.
Police said Odunsi and Grant were relatively new roommates for about two months.
Odunsi was from England but moved to Houston for nursing school. She was supposed to graduate this weekend, according to police.
Detectives said Grant tried to take his own life by stabbing himself six times, including in the side of the neck.
After a few days in the hospital, Grant appeared in probable cause court Saturday morning. He’s being held in the Harris County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
Elizabeth Tamilore Odunsi documented nursing school on her TikTok account
Originally from the United Kingdom, Odunsi documented her experience as a British student studying in the United States on her TikTok account @tamidollars. She gained over 37,400 followers for her nursing study tips and other school-related content.
In the weeks leading up to her death, Odunsi was counting down the days to her college graduation on TikTok. In her final video, posted five days before her death, she shared her excitement about the milestone, dancing alongside text that read: ’23 years old,’ ‘BSN grad in 2 weeks,’ ‘Vacations booked,’ ‘Summer is 14 days away,’ ‘Starting to look human again.’
‘I’m readyyyyyyyyyyyyy 🙂↕️,’ Odunsi wrote in the caption.
Following Odunsi’s death, a GoFundMe fundraiser was created to raise money to return her body to her family in the U.K. and cover funeral expenses. At time of publishing, over £57,764 ( $76,675.94 USD) had been raised.
‘Tami was a beautiful soul, full of light, ambition, and kindness,’ her sister, Georgina Odunsi, wrote on GoFundMe.
‘She moved from the UK to the United States to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse, dedicating herself to a life of care and service,’ she continued.
‘Tragically, Tami was brutally murdered just days before she was set to graduate from university – an unimaginable loss at a moment that should have marked the beginning of a bright and promising future,’ her sister wrote.
Police continue to gather surveillance video and interview witnesses. Grant is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
