A former Miss USA contestant was found dead in her Minneapolis home on Tuesday. Samantha M. Edwards was crowned Miss North Dakota in 2003. The 37 year old's cause of death has not yet been determined, reports the Star Tribune. Edwards was a freelance makeup artist who attended the University of North Dakota and the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis, according to the Tribune.
Edwards' best friend, Jessica Dereschuk, Miss Minnesota 2004, has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Edwards' funeral. She describes Edwards — whose friends called her Sami — as "one of the most vibrant, crazy, compassionate, loyal balls of energy you could ever come across in your life" and "a spitfire." She added that with Sami, "You ALWAYS knew she would be there for you. She was awesome like that."