Former Miss North Dakota USA Samantha Edwards was found dead in her Minneapolis home on Tuesday.
John Elder, the public information officer from the Minneapolis Police Department, told TheWrap that police were called to her residence at around 7:45 a.m. and discovered her body. Investigators are waiting on the Hennipin County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death.
Edwards was 37 years old and was crowned Miss North Dakota USA in 2003. She also competed in the Miss USA pageant in 2003.
The Miss USA and Miss Teen USA organization sent out a joint statement regarding Edwards’ death, writing, “we are saddened to hear of the passing on one of the most vibrant, energetic, and full-loving titleholders we have had the honor to meet from our state pageants … Sam’s smile and her energy will be terribly missed.”
Edwards’ friend, Miss Minnesota USA 2004 Jessica Dereschuk, set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral costs. As of Thursday morning, the page had raised $18,138 dollars from 205 people.
“Samantha Edwards, affectionately known by most as ‘Sami’ was one of the most vibrant, crazy, compassionate, loyal balls of energy you could ever come across in life,” wrote Dereschuk. “A conversation with her could either leave you full of adrenaline or utterly exhausted. She was a spitfire and with Sami you never knew what she’d throw your way — but you ALWAYS knew she would be there for you. She was awesome like that.”