Nigerian nursing student, Tamilore Odunsi was k!lled by her roommate following dispute over their pet cats.

On the cusp of achieving a lifelong dream, 23-year-old Tamilore Odunsi, a British-Nigerian nursing student studying in the United States, was days away from walking the stage to receive her nursing degree. Instead, her loved ones are now making preparations for her funeral.

The vibrant, promising student was brutally stabbed to death by her roommate, Chester Grant, 40, after what investigators described as a dispute over their shared pet cats escalated into a deadly confrontation. The incident, which occurred on April 26, 2025, at their shared apartment on Goforth Street in South Houston, has shocked both local residents and the international community.

Elizabeth Tamilore Odunsi was known by friends and classmates simply as “Tami.” Born in the United Kingdom to Nigerian parents, she moved to Houston three years ago to pursue a degree in nursing, driven by a deep desire to work in pediatric care. Described as warm, passionate, and full of dreams, Odunsi was scheduled to graduate this weekend from her university with honors.

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“She wanted to work with children,” said her friend and fellow nursing student, Maria Alvarez. “She talked about opening a clinic back in Nigeria one day. She said healthcare access in rural areas was terrible and wanted to do something about it.”

Tamilore had recently completed her clinical rotations and was preparing for her final exams. Her professors spoke highly of her, calling her a “dedicated, compassionate caregiver” who had a special gift for comforting patients during difficult moments.

But all that promise came to a tragic end in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor.

According to the Houston Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 26. The caller, a neighbor, reported hearing loud screams and then total silence. When officers arrived at the apartment complex, they found the door ajar.

Inside, Tamilore Odunsi lay motionless on the kitchen floor, with multiple stab wounds to her chest and abdomen. Police quickly apprehended Chester Grant, her roommate of just two months, who was found in a nearby room with self-inflicted injuries, allegedly from a failed suicide attempt.

He was taken to a local hospital under police guard and has since been booked into the Harris County Jail on murder charges.

According to police spokesperson Sgt. Blake Summers, the altercation began over something that many might consider trivial: pet cats.

“They both owned cats,” Sgt. Summers explained to KHOU 11 News. “We believe there had been growing tension between them over the animals. Tamilore was particularly attached to her cat, Muffin. The argument appears to have started over feeding arrangements and cleanliness. But the situation escalated significantly over the past few days.”

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Investigators say Grant became increasingly irritated by the cats’ presence, their behavior, and possibly jealousy over the attention Tamilore gave to her pet. The tension boiled over the morning of the attack.

Friends of Odunsi say she had recently moved in with Grant through an online roommate-matching service. Her previous apartment was being renovated, and she needed a temporary place to stay until graduation. Grant, a man 17 years her senior, offered a room at a reasonable rate in a quiet part of Houston’s south side.

“There were concerns, yes,” said Olivia Bakare, a childhood friend of Tamilore. “I remember telling her to be careful. She told me he was quiet, a bit awkward, but seemed harmless.”

That impression would prove fatally wrong.

According to neighbors, the apartment was not particularly noisy or problematic before the fatal incident, though a few reported hearing occasional raised voices over the past couple of weeks.

“Heard them arguing about something… the man shouting about cats knocking over stuff,” said one neighbor who declined to be named. “Didn’t think it was anything serious.”

Another neighbor, who lived directly across the hall, said she once saw Tamilore crying outside the apartment.

“She told me she was thinking of moving out,” the woman said. “Said she didn’t feel comfortable. But she didn’t go into detail.”

Chester Grant is a 40-year-old Houston native with a checkered past. Public records show that he previously worked as a security guard but had struggled with unemployment for the past two years. He had no significant criminal record but had reportedly battled mental health issues, including depression and episodes of paranoia.

Police revealed that Grant had once been treated at a mental health facility in 2019 but had stopped attending therapy in recent years.

A former colleague described him as “moody, isolated, and easily agitated.”

“He didn’t talk much. Kept to himself,” the former coworker said. “But when he got upset, it was like a switch flipped.”

Police now suspect that Grant’s declining mental health may have played a role in the escalation of violence, though they remain cautious in making conclusions without a full psychiatric evaluation.

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Police reports detail a chilling scene at the apartment. Blood was smeared along the kitchen tiles, and the kitchen knife used in the attack lay nearby. Tamilore, dressed in her nursing scrubs, had multiple stab wounds — some defensive — suggesting she had fought for her life.

A small pet carrier containing her cat was found next to the refrigerator. The cat, Muffin, was unharmed but visibly distressed.

“It was a gruesome scene,” one officer who requested anonymity told local reporters. “She didn’t stand a chance. The attack was brutal and relentless.”

The medical examiner ruled the cause of death as multiple stab wounds with damage to major arteries and internal organs.

News of Tamilore’s death sent shockwaves through her university and the local Nigerian and British communities in Houston.

At a candlelight vigil held on campus the day after the incident, students gathered to mourn their classmate. Many wept openly. Photos of Tamilore smiling in her nursing uniform and spending time with friends were displayed around the memorial.

“Her dream was to heal people,” said her professor, Dr. Sandra Lopez. “It’s unbearable that she should die this way.”

Members of the Nigerian Union in Houston expressed outrage and heartbreak at the senseless killing. Some called for better awareness of roommate screening and mental health support.

Tamilore’s