The family of 23-year-old Elizabeth “Tami” Odunsi, a British-American nursing student murdered just days before her graduation ceremony from Texas Woman’s University, has filed a $65 million wrongful death lawsuit, claiming gross negligence by multiple parties who they say ignored urgent safety warnings.
Odunsi, who had recently relocated to Houston to complete her nursing clinicals, was fatally stabbed in her apartment in late April. Her parents, listening in real time over speakerphone from their home in London, heard the attack unfold during what should have been a routine call following her final clinical session. The Harris County Medical Examiner later confirmed she was stabbed 28 times.
The family’s lawsuit, filed by The Cox Pradia Law Firm, names the student housing company For a Place to Live, its background check contractor SafeRent Solutions, the landlord, and the accused killer, 40-year-old Chester Lamar Grant. The suit accuses all parties of failing to take action after repeated warnings from Odunsi that she felt unsafe in her own home.
“Elizabeth was a bright light – a brilliant young woman, a loving daughter, sister, and friend,” said her father, John Odunsi, in a public statement. “Her mother and I heard it all unfold. The pain we carry from that moment is beyond words.”
According to the complaint, Odunsi had alerted her property manager multiple times about feeling threatened by Grant, who court records show had prior domestic violence convictions. Just days before her death, she reported that Grant poured liquid on her and knocked her phone from her hand. She filed a police report and arranged a teleconference involving her parents and management, but it was abruptly canceled before the fatal incident.
On April 26, after returning from her final clinical session, she called her parents to express continued fear. Moments after she entered the apartment, they reportedly heard a heated exchange, followed by screaming, and then silence.
The Houston Police Department said the stabbing stemmed from an argument about Grant’s cat. Officers found Odunsi dead on the kitchen floor during a welfare check and Grant critically injured in a bedroom. He was taken to a hospital and survived. He has since been charged with murder and remains in the Harris County Jail.
“This case is about more than one horrific crime,” said attorney Troy Pradia. “It’s about how a system designed to protect tenants – especially vulnerable young people – ignored every warning sign and stood by in silence. Elizabeth asked for help. She did everything right. And she was killed anyway.”
Odunsi, also a social media influencer with a growing following, was posthumously awarded her nursing degree. Her sister, Georgina Odunsi, accepted the diploma in her place during Texas Woman’s University’s commencement ceremony.
“Walking across that stage to accept Tami’s diploma was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Georgina said. “She should have been there, proud and radiant. Instead, I carried the weight of her absence, and the pain of what was taken from our family.”
The suit seeks damages not only for wrongful death and negligence but also for the “survival damages” associated with the psychological trauma suffered by Elizabeth’s parents, who heard her final moments.
“We’re pursuing $65 million in damages but let me be clear – no amount of money can ever measure the value of Elizabeth’s life,” said attorney Jonathan Cox. “This lawsuit is a demand for accountability – and a warning to every company that cuts corners when it comes to people’s safety.”
Odunsi’s story raises difficult questions about tenant protections, roommate screening practices, and the responsibility of housing providers to respond to red flags, especially when the consequences can be deadly.
