A British student nurse has been tragically stabbed to death in Houston, Texas, just days before she was due to graduate from university, prompting an outpouring of grief and support both in the UK and the US.
Elizabeth Tamilore Odunsi, 23, originally from London, was found dead in her Houston apartment on Saturday, 26 April.
Local police officers conducting a welfare check discovered her body on the kitchen floor, with multiple stab wounds, after noticing blood on a rear patio and forcing entry into the flat.
Authorities have charged 40-year-old Chester Lamar Grant—Ms Odunsi’s roommate—with her murder.
He was found in a bedroom with at least one self-inflicted stab wound and was transported to hospital in critical condition. He was later arrested on 2 May and remains in custody at Harris County Jail, with bail set at $500,000 (approximately £375,000).
Preliminary court proceedings suggest that the fatal altercation may have stemmed from a dispute over a pet cat owned by Grant, according to US media reports.
Ms Odunsi, known online by her TikTok handle “Tamidollars”, had amassed more than 44,000 followers by sharing her experiences as a nursing student at Texas Woman’s University. Her sudden death has shocked both her online community and those who knew her personally.
A GoFundMe campaign launched to repatriate her body to the UK for burial has raised over £63,000 as of early Tuesday morning.
The fundraising page, organised by her sister Georgina Odunsi, describes Elizabeth as a “beautiful soul, full of light, ambition, and kindness” who moved to the US to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse.
The page also highlights the profound heartbreak of her loss, occurring just days before what was meant to be a milestone celebration of her achievements and the start of a promising healthcare career.
