Family's plea as student nurse dies in Texas stabbing

The family of a British student nurse, 23, stabbed to death in Texas has raised more than £40,000 to bring her home and "give her the peaceful and dignified farewell she deserves".

Elizabeth Tamilore Odunsi, known as Tami and from London, who posted about her studies on TikTok, was "brutally murdered" in her home just days before she was set to graduate in Houston, her sister Georgina said in a tribute on a GoFundMe page.

The family has asked for donations towards repatriation, funeral and burial costs.

Houston Police Department said her body was discovered on 26 April and homicide detectives are investigating.

Detectives said officers had been called to an apartment complex for a welfare check in the South Side area of Houston when they discovered blood on the patio.

Inside, officers found the student with multiple stab wounds on the kitchen floor. She was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

A male with at least one stab wound was taken to hospital in a critical condition, they added.

Paying tribute to the student, her sister Georgina wrote on GoFundme: "Tami was a beautiful soul, full of light, ambition and kindness. She was just 23-years-old."

She added that Ms Odunsi had moved to the United States to "pursue her dream of becoming a nurse, dedicating herself to a life of care and service".

"Tragically, Tami was brutally murdered just days before she was set to graduate from university - an unimaginable loss at a moment that should have marked the beginning of a bright and promising future," her sister said.

The nursing student regularly posted about her life as a nursing student at Texas Woman's University to her 31,000 followers on TikTok.

In her last video on 21 April, she posted about her excitement being two weeks from graduating, with holidays booked to celebrate.

In a statement, the university said it was "deeply saddened" to learn of her death.

"At just 17, Tami moved alone from London to Houston, bravely adapting to a new country, a new culture, and a new academic system - all just months before the pandemic began," a spokesperson said.

"She made a tremendous impact on our university community, and her legacy will continue to inspire us."

The university is offering counselling to students affected by Ms Odunsi's death.

Additional reporting by Fiona Nimoni

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