The family of 23-year-old nursing student Tamilore “Tami” Odunsi, who was brutally stabbed to death in April 2025, has filed a $65 million wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against a Houston property management company and a background check provider they claim failed to protect her from a dangerous living situation.
Filed Monday in Harris County, the civil suit names For A Place To Live LLC, SafeRent Solutions, and the accused killer, Chester Lamar Grant, as defendants.
⚖️ Civil Lawsuit Alleges Negligence, Failure to Act on Safety Complaints
According to the complaint, For A Place To Live—an agency that arranges roommate pairings for renters—matched Odunsi with Grant, 40, despite his known criminal history, including prior domestic violence convictions. The plaintiffs allege that SafeRent Solutions, which ran the background check on Grant, and the property manager failed to screen him properly and did not disclose his violent past.
Attorneys Troy J. Pradia and Jonathan H. Cox, representing the Odunsi family, claim the companies failed to take Odunsi’s repeated safety concerns seriously, even after she reported escalating aggression from Grant, including physical intimidation and verbal abuse.
On the day of the murder, April 26, Odunsi had a scheduled Zoom meeting with the property manager to discuss her fears—but the company canceled the meeting just two hours before it was set to begin, the lawsuit states.
🩸 The Killing and Its Aftermath
Odunsi, a U.K. native known on TikTok as “Tami Dollars,” was stabbed more than 24 times after entering the apartment she shared with Grant. Her parents, who were on the phone with her at the time, heard her screams for help before the call disconnected.
Houston police later found Odunsi dead on the kitchen floor. Grant, who had allegedly attempted to take his own life following the attack, survived and was arrested. He is currently being held in Harris County Jail on a murder charge.
The lawsuit argues that the property management company’s failure to act on repeated warnings, including ignoring Odunsi’s request for a safer housing arrangement, constitutes gross negligence. The suit seeks $65 million in damages for wrongful death, pain and suffering, and loss of companionship.
🧑⚖️ Legal Accountability and Corporate Oversight in Tenant Pairings
“Grant’s history posed a clear and unreasonable risk of harm to Ms. Odunsi,” said attorney Pradia at a press conference. He explained that even a basic internet search revealed Grant’s criminal record, yet no meaningful steps were taken to protect Odunsi.
“She did everything right,” her mother, Adenike Odunsi, said. “But no one listened to my daughter.”
The family traveled from the United Kingdom to attend the press conference and is now seeking legal accountability from the companies they allege failed in their duty of care.
🧾 Legal Context and Broader Implications
This case raises serious questions about third-party liability, especially concerning roommate matching services and their legal obligations to screen tenants for violent criminal histories. If successful, the lawsuit could reshape industry practices regarding residential tenant safety, informed consent, and criminal background checks.
Attorneys for the Odunsi family say the companies were grossly negligent in their tenant placement policies and failed to respond to “red flags” that may have prevented a tragic death.
Neither For A Place To Live nor SafeRent Solutions has responded publicly to the lawsuit as of publication.
