HOUSTON – The family of a Houston nursing student and social media influencer who was allegedly murdered by her roommate is suing the landlord and background check firm who allowed her to live with a man with a violent past.
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On April 26, Elizabeth Tamilore Odunsi, a 23-year-old nursing student at Texas Woman’s University known on TikTok as “Tami Dollars,” was murdered by her 40-year-old roommate, Christopher Grant.
The Odunsi family and their legal team held a press conference demanding justice and accountability from the landlord and SafeRent Solutions, the background check company, for what they describe as gross negligence that allowed Grant to be placed with Tami.
SafeRent does background checks for multiple different properties, including For a Place to Live, a company that owns several properties throughout Houston, but mostly in the Third Ward area.
Members of the Odunsi family spoke of the devastation they’ve felt since Tami’s life was taken from her.
“She was quite literally at the finishing line, when her life was tragically cut short,” Tami’s sister Georgina said. “She left us in one of the most painful ways possible: her last words being a cry for help... no one deserves to go out the way she did.”
The attorneys claimed that Tami had reported a prior violent incident with Grant to both the landlord and Houston Police, and a meeting with the landlord had been scheduled but was later canceled.
Shortly after, she was murdered in the apartment that was meant to be her safe space.
During the press conference, Pradia revealed that he had one of his assistants search for Grant’s information on Google, and a simple search revealed that he had domestic violence convictions in Washington state.
“So, it was just that easy for them to find out what happened and what he was doing prior to him moving in with Tami,” Pradia said. “We’re here today, just seeking justice for the family... I don’t know what I would do if something like this happened to my daughter.”
Grant was arrested on May 2 and charged with Tami’s murder. His trial is ongoing. The attorneys emphasized they will represent the Odunsi family, who live in London, throughout the trial in Houston.
"She did everything right, but no one listened to my daughter," Tami’s mother said.
