Brutal Injustice: Texas Student Begged for Help as She Was Fatally Stabbed 28 Times by Older Roommate—Parents Sue Housing Company
The family of Elizabeth “Tami” Odunsi, a 23-year-old nursing student fatally stabbed in her Houston apartment just days before graduation, is filing a $65 million wrongful death lawsuit against a student housing provider they say failed to protect her from a violent and dangerous roommate.
Odunsi, a beloved Texas Woman’s University student, was brutally murdered on April 26 inside the off-campus apartment she shared with Chester Lamar Grant, a 40-year-old man with a violent criminal history. Authorities say she was stabbed nearly 30 times. The horrific killing, which left her family shattered and a campus community in mourning, has now sparked national outrage and demands for accountability.
“She was quite literally at the finishing line,” said Georgina Odunsi, Tami’s younger sister, during a press conference announcing the lawsuit. “We didn’t just lose Tami—she was stolen from us.”
Student Placed in Danger by Alleged Housing Oversight
According to attorneys Jonathan Cox and Troy Pradia, Odunsi was paired with Grant by For a Place to Live, a company that markets itself as a provider of student housing. Just two months before her death, the company matched the nursing student with Grant—despite his extensive criminal history, which included at least one felony conviction tied to domestic violence in Washington state.
The lawsuit alleges that the company outsourced its background checks to a third-party service, SafeRent Solutions, both of which are now named as defendants. Cox said this negligent screening process led to a “catastrophic” roommate match.
“It’s unconscionable that this company would place this 40-year-old man with a violent past in the same living space as a 23-year-old nursing student,” Cox said. “Tami was trying to finish school, and instead, she was placed in harm’s way.”
The Attack and the Warning Signs
Houston police were called to Odunsi’s apartment on April 26 after concerned loved ones requested a welfare check. Officers discovered blood on the back patio—probable cause to force entry into the unit. Inside, they found Tami dead on the kitchen floor, suffering from 28 stab wounds.
In a nearby bedroom, they found Grant, critically injured, having apparently attempted suicide. He survived and was arrested on May 3. He remains in custody at the Harris County Jail, held on $500,000 bond and charged with murder.
Court records reveal that Odunsi had feared for her safety in the days leading up to her death. The family’s lawsuit details a violent encounter that occurred shortly before the stabbing, in which Grant allegedly threw liquid in her face, knocked her phone out of her hand, and threatened her life—all over an argument involving their cats.
Tami reported the attack to police and reached out to the housing provider for help, hoping to address the danger she felt living with Grant. She scheduled a meeting with the housing company, but that meeting was allegedly canceled, and no further action was taken to protect her.
“She did all the right things,” said attorney Troy Pradia. “She reported the threat. She sought help. She should have been taken seriously. And instead, she was left alone with a dangerous man.”
‘Help, Help, Help’: Her Final Words Haunt Family
The most chilling detail of the lawsuit comes from Tami’s final moments, as recounted by her mother, Adenike Odunsi. On the day of the murder, Tami called her mother as she approached her front door. She had noticed her shoes, which were left outside, had been filled with feces.
During the call, Tami confronted Grant and moments later screamed “Help, help, help!”—before the phone line went dead.
“That was the last time I heard my daughter’s voice,” her mother said tearfully. “She was scared to go inside. And I couldn’t do anything to save her.”
A Promising Student’s Life Cut Short
Odunsi was a first-generation Nigerian-British immigrant who had moved from Europe to the U.S. to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. She had a growing online following, with over 48,000 TikTok followers under the username “Tami Dollars,” where she shared her nursing school journey and encouraged others to keep pushing through difficult times.
She was awarded a posthumous Bachelor of Science in Nursing at TWU’s May commencement, accepted by her grieving family.
Her father, John Odunsi, has stated that he is considering further legal action against both the police and the landlord. He believes both parties failed to act on clear warning signs.
“I feel failed by the police,” he told The Times of London. “The landlord should’ve done proper vetting. I don’t know what background checks were done on the man who murdered my daughter—but clearly, they weren’t enough.”
Family Seeks Justice and Accountability
At the press conference, Georgina, who traveled from the U.K. to represent the family, struggled to hold back tears.
“The amount of trauma my family and I have experienced is unfair,” she said. “The ringing in my ear that started the moment I heard she was gone hasn’t stopped—and I fear it never will.”
She described her sister as the “glue” that held their family together. Now, that bond has been violently broken.
A GoFundMe campaign launched in Tami’s memory described her as “a beautiful soul, full of light, ambition, and kindness.”
Neither For a Place to Live nor SafeRent Solutions has responded to repeated media inquiries, according to multiple reports.
But the Odunsi family is determined not to let their daughter’s death fade from public memory.
“We will never stop saying her name,” Georgina said. “And we will never stop fighting for the justice she deserves.”
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