'She did all the right things': $65 million+ lawsuit filed after TWU nursing student murdered
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The family of a murdered Texas Woman's University nursing student has filed a lawsuit seeking upwards of $65 million, alleging her death is the result of negligence.
According to court documents, 23-year-old Elizabeth "Tami" Odunsi was stabbed to death by her roommate, 40-year-old Chester Grant, in April.
According to the Odunsi family's attorneys, Jonathan Cox and Troy Pradia, Odunsi and Grant were paired as roommates by "For a Place to Live" approximately two months prior to her death.
The website for "For a Place to Live" states the company is a "student-housing provider." The website also states the company performs background checks when screening potential roommates. Cox and Pradia told ABC13 the task is outsourced to SafeRent Solutions, which is also named in this suit.
According to Cox and Pradia, Grant has at least two domestic violence-related convictions, one of which was a felony, out of Washington State.
"It's unconscionable that this company would place this 40-year-old man with past criminal history, violent criminal history, with Tami, who was 23 years old," Cox said.
Days prior to Odunsi's murder, the lawsuit states Grant attacked her in a dispute over their cats, allegedly knocking her cellphone out of her hand and pouring an unknown liquid on her face.
Odunsi called the police, but no charges were filed. Attorneys said Odunsi then set up a meeting with the housing company to address the matter, which they say the company canceled.
PREVIOUS STORY: Roommate stabbed woman 28 times after fight over cat, records say
"She did all the right things," Pradia said.
Odunsi's mother, Adenike Odunsi, broke down, describing her final phone call with her daughter. She said the 23-year-old called her while returning to her apartment because she was afraid of Grant. At the door, Odunsi said her daughter discovered a pair of her shoes had been filled with feces. She said she heard her daughter ask Grant why he allegedly filled the shoes with feces. She said she then heard her daughter scream, "Help, help, help," before the call ended.
"We didn't just lose Tami; she was stolen from us," Elizabeth Odunsi's sister, Georgina Odunsi, said.
Georgina Odunsi flew from the UK to announce the lawsuit in a press conference on Tuesday.
"The amount of trauma that my family and I have experienced is unfair. The ringing noise in my ear that began as soon as I heard the news has not stopped since, and I fear it never will," she said.
Odunsi was stabbed nearly 30 times, according to court documents. The lawsuit states that Grant then attempted to take his own life. As of Tuesday evening, he remained in the Harris County Jail.
Odunsi was killed just days prior to graduation.
"She was quite literally at the finishing line," Georgina Odunsi said.
ABC13 attempted to contact For a Place to Live and SafeRent Solutions. The owner of For a Place to Live answered the phone; however, the call ended seconds after the reporter introduced themselves as a journalist for ABC13. He then texted the journalist that the call had been disconnected. Over text, he said he could not comment because he reportedly had not seen the lawsuit. The journalist texted him the lawsuit. He has not replied.
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