Airbnb sued for allegedly not vetting guest who murdered Saudi student in next room
The parents of a Saudi student who was stabbed to death by a fellow guest at an Airbnb in Philadelphia are suing the online platform over his brutal killing, accusing the company of failing to properly screen renters who might turn violent.
Nicole Marie Rodgers, 19, pleaded guilty last December to third-degree murder, burglary, theft, and a weapons charge over 25-year-old Alwaleed Algheraibi's January 2023 death. She is now serving a sentence of 15 to 40 years at SCI Muncy, a Pennsylvania state prison for female offenders.
Algheraibi's death 'was obviously painful and terrifying to him,' according to the lawsuit by Abdullah and Eiman Algheraibi, which was filed initially in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas and removed to federal court on May 16.
'He was stabbed multiple times in the neck and lungs, was dragged into a shower, and was left to die alone,' the couple's complaint states.
Host Gardith Edouard described the scene as 'the most horrific sight,' and said the walls and floor were drenched in blood.
'My whole body just shook,' Edouard told The Independent. 'I tried to resuscitate him, but by the time 911 got there, I knew he was dead… I'm still not well, it's just been horrible.'
Algheraibi, a computer science major at Chestnut Hill College, a private Catholic school founded in 1924, 'would not hurt a fly,' one of his instructors said in a posthumous tribute, recalling when he rescued an injured cricket in class.
The murder stemmed directly from 'the negligence of Airbnb, specifically, its failure to limit who can use the platform and its alleged lack of rigorous background checks.
Attorney Steven Harvey, who is representing Algheraibi's parents in court, said on Monday that Rodgers's motive remains 'unclear.'
'It may have been a petty robbery, it may have been a perceived slight,' Harvey told The Independent. '... Juvenile criminal records are sealed, so we don't have much of a window as to what led her to this.'
As for the Algheraibi family, Harvey said, 'The grief is extreme, and Al was about as sweet and lovely a young man as you could find. He liked to hang out in his room and play video games and talk to his fiancee from Saudi Arabia when he wasn't in school.'
Airbnb acknowledged a request for comment on Monday, but did not provide one by the time of publication.
In the summer of 2022, Edouard placed an ad on Facebook Marketplace for a room available for rent at a townhouse she keeps in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, according to the complaint filed by Algheraibi's parents.
At the time, Edouard, a Cornell graduate who is now attending medical school on the West Coast, lived down the street and earned extra money by taking in tenants at the five-bed, three-bath investment property.
Many of Edouard's tenants were students, and she paid a screening service to vet everyone before handing over the keys, the complaint states.
Before approving Algheraibi as a tenant, Edouard completed a 'proper screening,' including a phone interview and background check, according to the complaint. She further verified Algheraibi's bona fides by obtaining a copy of his passport, confirming his enrollment at Chestnut Hill College, and getting the name and number of his emergency contact, the complaint goes on.
'Ms. Edouard concluded that he checked out and that he sounded like a good person to have at the house,' the complaint continues.
Algheraibi signed an agreement to rent a room on the first floor of Edouard's house for six months, beginning in August 2022, the complaint states. It describes Algheraibi as 'a model tenant' who 'paid his rent on time and was pleasant to be around.'
'He was a good person, and was very kind,' the complaint says.
In December 2022, Algheraibi informed Edouard that he would need to extend his stay, as he needed to take an extra course to graduate, according to the complaint. He was disappointed about the turn of events, the complaint contends, because he had been looking forward to returning home to his family and fiancée.
Around that same time, Rodgers, a Georgia resident, requested a booking at Edouard's home through Airbnb, where Edouard often listed additional vacancies, the complaint states, noting that Rodgers's profile on the site was marked 'Identity verified.'
According to the complaint, Rogers wrote, 'Hi me and my dog are traveling to Philadelphia. We would be staying while I look for [a] house, and we would check in around 12-1pm Thursday afternoon.'
But, the complaint asserts, Edouard – who had previously rented a room to an 18-year-old who had caused extensive damage – was hesitant about renting again to another underage tenant. So, in response, she contacted Airbnb and said she did not want to host anyone younger than 21, the complaint says.
However, the complaint alleges, Airbnb informed Edouard that if she refused tenants based upon their age, she could be flagged for 'discrimination' and removed from the platform.
Consequently, Edouard agreed to rent Rodgers a room from January 5, 2023 through January 23, 2023, according to the complaint.
It says Rodgers took a room on the third floor, and everything seemed fine for the duration of her stay – until the day she was set to move out.
'Prior to doing so, she, on information and belief, encountered Al and induced him to enter her room,' the complaint states. (Contemporaneous news reports said Rodgers asked Algheraibi to help her move some heavy items that she couldn't handle by herself.)
At that point, Rodgers stabbed Algheraibi 'multiple times,' piercing his neck and puncturing his lungs, according to the complaint.
'To attempt to evade detection, she dragged the grievously injured Mr. Algheraibi to the third-floor bathroom and left him in the shower,' the complaint maintains.
It says another tenant alerted Edouard to 'strange noises' emanating from the third floor, 'including what he believed was a large dog being 'shoved' into the bathroom.'
'Ms. Edouard entered Ms. Rodgers' room and saw her pouring bleach on the floor,' the complaint states.
Edouard told The Independent that when she arrived at the house, 'the smell of bleach was so overpowering, it gave me an instant headache.'
A bewildered Edouard then picked the locked bathroom door, where she discovered Algheraibi, mortally wounded, lying in a pool of blood, according to the complaint. After calling 911, Edouard tried to revive Algheraibi using chest compressions, but was unable, the complaint says.
Algheraibi was pronounced dead at the scene.
'After the murder,' the complaint concludes, 'Ms. Rodgers, who left the premises, was able to log back into the Airbnb platform and retroactively change her name to 'Nicole Jenkins' and also to change her profile picture.'
A week later, Philadelphia police arrested Rodgers. On December 27, 2024, Rodgers pleaded guilty to murder in the third-degree, burglary, theft, and possession of an instrument of crime with intent.
According to the Algheraibi family's complaint, Airbnb was negligent 'in numerous ways, including not limiting the ability of persons under age 21 from renting a property through Airbnb,' and 'not conducting sufficient screening of potential guests to make it safer for other people staying in an Airbnb property to be free from violent crimes committed by Airbnb renters.'
Airbnb, the complaint alleges, 'knew that younger renters such as Ms. Rodgers have less self-control and are more prone to commit criminal and other destructive acts, including physical harm to other persons who are staying or residing in Airbnb properties.'
Edouard told The Independent that she has since stopped renting individual rooms on Airbnb, and has been unable to bring herself to go back to the house where Algheraibi was killed.
Harvey, for his part, said Algheraibi's mom and dad are hoping their son's death will spur change in Airbnb business practices.
'His parents do want justice, though what does justice mean? What does justice look like? Nothing is going to bring their son back,' he told The Independent. 'They would like to see Airbnb take some responsibility for its policy that led to this horrific situation.'
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