Courtney Cash, the great-niece of country music legend Johnny Cash, was found stabbed to death in her home earlier this week, and a friend of hers has been arrested for her murder.

Cash, her boyfriend William Austin Johnson, and their friend Wayne Gary Masciarella were together on Tuesday night. According to Johnson, an altercation ensued when they arrived back at the home Cash and Johnson shared, and Masciarella stabbed both of them. Johnson was able to escape, but Cash’s body was found in a box in the home on Wednesday morning.

Johnson and Cash shared a child together, who was at the home when the attack occurred. Johnson reportedly took the child with him when he escaped to the hospital. Putnam County Sheriff David Andrews said the inside of the home showed a struggle when authorities came onto the scene.

“There was a struggle,” Andrews said. “This is a senseless, tragic death of a young lady whose life was probably taken as a direct or indirect result of drugs.”

Cash’s grandfather, Tommy–who is Johnny’s brother–posted a statement from the family on Facebook, saying, “We ask for your prayers for the Cash family at this time. Courtney and her boyfriend are beloved members of my family, and like you, we have a lot of questions and emotions that we are beginning to sort through today. ”

Masciarella is in custody and faces first-degree murder charges.

Image via Wikimedia Commons