The family of Tamilore Odunsi, a nursing student from London who was “brutally murdered" in the US, have shared their “unimaginable loss”.

Odunsi moved to Houston, Texas in the US in 2022 to pursue her dreams of becoming a nurse. Last Saturday, the 23-year-old was stabbed to death at her apartment in Texas where a man was also found with stab wounds at the address. Houston police were called to Odunsi‘s apartment block by a friend of her fathers on Saturday at 3.50pm after relatives were unable to reach her. HPD Homicide Division Detectives H.Martinez and S. Chettry stated that during the welfare check, after Odunsi did not answer the door, the officers spotted blood on her patio and forcibly entered the apartment. 

The young woman was found with multiple stab wounds on her kitchen floor and pronounced dead on the scene, whilst her flatmate, an unidentified male, was found with one stab wound in a bedroom. Odunsi’s flatmate survived his injuries and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The unidentified flat-mate had moved in with Odunsi only a few weeks earlier and the pair were reported to be  “complete strangers”.

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During her journey, Odunsi gained a lot of popularity on Tik Tok, where she went by the handle Tamidollars, and had amassed more than 3 million likes from her 30,000 followers and others. Odunsi documented her US study journey and her experience as a Brit abroad on the app and was just days away from graduating from university at the time of her murder. Her enthusiasm for her future was clear from her final Tik Tok post which she uploaded on April 21st. The 12-second clip showed Odunsi smiling through a Tik Tok trend, along with the following text: 

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‘23 years old. BSN grad in 2 weeks. Summer is 14 days away. Starting to look human again.'

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Odunsi’s relatives have started a Go Fund Me for their "beloved sister, daughter, and friend",  to cover repatriation and funeral costs and to give her "the peaceful and dignified farewell she deserves". On the page, which has already raised over £28,000, Odunsi’s sister Georgina Odunsi described her as "a beautiful soul, full of light, ambition, and kindness".

Georgina added:

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'A devoted Christian, she was a God-fearing young woman who found strength and joy in her faith. She had a deep love for her church community, where she was actively involved and always eager to serve others with humanity and grace…

Tami had a special love for children and always dreamed of making a difference in young lives through her work in healthcare.

Outside of her studies, she brought joy to others through her love for creating content and expressing her vibrant personality…

Tami touched so many lives in her short time here. Now, we are asking for help to give her the peaceful and dignified farewell she deserves.”

Houston police have stated that the investigation into Odunsi’s murder is ongoing. 

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