Man charged with murder of British student nurse

Tami Odunsi in a medical coat leans on a pianoImage source, Tami Odunsi
Image caption,

Tami Odunsi, from London, was studying nursing in Texas

  • Published

The roommate of a British student nurse has been charged with murder after she was stabbed to death in Texas days before she was due to graduate.

Londoner Elizabeth Odunsi, 23, known to friends and family as Tami, was found with multiple stab wounds on the kitchen floor of a property on Goforth Street, Houston Police Department (HPD) said.

Chester Lamar Grant, 40, was arrested on Friday and later charged after being taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Detectives said they were called to the property for a welfare check on 26 April but did not receive an answer when they knocked on the door and found blood on the rear patio. Ms Odunsi was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.

Chester Lamar Grant  mugshot shows bandaged neckImage source, Houston Police Department
Image caption,

Chester Lamar Grant was charged in the 176th State District Court

HPD said that as well as discovering the body of Ms Odunsi when they entered the address, officers also found a man in a bedroom with at least one stab wound.

An online appeal to bring Ms Odunsi's body back to the UK from the US has raised more than £65,000.

Organisers have asked for "help to give her the peaceful and dignified farewell she deserves".

The 23-year-old went by the name of Tami Dollars on the social media platform TikTok and had amassed more than 45,000 followers.

Tami Odunsi appearing in a TikTok video Image source, Tami Odunsi
Image caption,

She was described by her family as a "beautiful soul"

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, external, X, external and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk, external

Related topics