Morgan Freeman has paid tribute to his granddaughter after she was stabbed to death in a disturbing attack outside of her New York home.
Edena Hines was an actress who had recently returned to New York to shoot Landing Up, an independent film. She was stabbed 16 times in the torso in the early hours of Sunday morning. A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with her death.
The 33-year-old’s grandmother was Jeanette Adair Bradshaw, Freeman’s first wife.
Hines had roles as a barista in ABC's What Would You Do and a receptionist in Freeman's 2014 film, 5 Flights Up. She described her a role in Landing Up as a "dream come true" in a post on her website.
Freeman issued a statement mourning the loss of his granddaughter: “The world will never know her artistry in talent, and how much she had to offer.
“Her friends and family were fortunate enough to have known what she meant as a person. Her star will continue to shine bright in our hearts, thoughts and prayers. May she rest in peace.”
“I want to acknowledge the tremendous outpouring of love and support my family has received regarding the tragic and senseless passing of my granddaughter Edena Hines,” he wrote in a second statement on Facebook. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
