Nursing Student Killed Days Before Graduating Was Allegedly Stabbed by Roommate Over Dispute About Their Cats
Tamilore Odunsi was found with multiple stab wounds and pronounced dead in her Houston apartment on April 26, days before she was supposed to graduate
Police said Odunsi's roommate, Chester Lamar Grant, is responsible for her death, and allegedly tried to kill himself after stabbing her
Grant and Odunsi got into an argument about their cats days before he allegedly killed her, police said. The student, who moved from the U.K. to get her nursing degree, had only been living with Grant for about two months before her death
The man who was living with nursing student Tamilore Odunsi, who was brutally stabbed to death days before her graduation, allegedly killed her following a dispute over their pets.
Odunsi's roommate, Chester Lamar Grant, is suspected to be responsible for the fatal stabbing and allegedly attempted to kill himself after the altercation, Houston police told local CBS affiliate KHOU 11.
On April 26, police conducted a welfare check at the student's Houston apartment. They entered the unit after seeing blood on the rear patio, and, once inside, they found Odunsi, 23, with multiple stab wounds and Grant, 40, with at least one. Odunsi was pronounced dead at the scene.
Now, police said that days before the stabbing, the roommates got in an argument over the cats that they kept in the apartment, eventually leading Grant to stab Odunsi, KHOU 11 reported, citing authorities.
After stabbing Odunsi, Grant tried to end his own life by stabbing himself six times, including once in his neck, detectives told KHOU 11. He and Odunsi had only been living with each other for about two months at the time of the incident, per the outlet.
Following the April welfare check, Grant was hospitalized in critical condition. On May 3, he was booked into jail and charged with murder, according to jail records viewed by PEOPLE. He is next expected to appear in court on Monday, May 5.
A spokesperson for the Houston Police Department (HPD) was not available to respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, May 3, or Sunday, May 4.
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 30,000 followers for her 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.
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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. As of May 4, the fundraiser has surpassed its £40,000 goal, raising a total of £54,530 (over $72,000).
According to the fundraiser, Odunsi — who was described as "a beautiful soul, full of light, ambition and kindness" — moved to the United States to 'pursue her dream of becoming a nurse, dedicating herself to a life of care and service."
Her death, the page says, is 'an unimaginable loss at a moment that should have marked the beginning of a bright and promising future.'
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