Morgan Freeman with Edena Hines at the Golden Globes in 2005.
Morgan Freemans step-granddaughter was stabbed to death by her crazed boyfriend as he appeared to be trying to perform an exorcism on her on a Manhattan sidewalk early Sunday, law-enforcement sources and a witness said.
Get out, devils! I cast you out, devils! In the name of Jesus Christ, I cast you out! the suspect screamed, according to George Hudacko, 65, who witnessed the attack from his window in Washington Heights and called 911.
Police at the scene of the stabbing
The girl was making a lot of noise, screaming, Hudacko said of victim EDena Hines, 33. I saw something sparkly going up and down.
I called 911, I was begging them to come.
Hines whose grandmother, Jeanette Adair Bradshaw, was Freemans first wife was stabbed in front of West 162 Street near St. Nicholas Avenue just before 3 a.m., cops said.
Her live-in boyfriend continued stabbing her even after her body went lifeless and was still screaming incoherently over her when police arrived at the bloody scene, sources said.
Freeman issued a sorrowful public statement within hours of the attack, saying: 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.
Although Hines and Freeman, 78, were not related by blood, the actor adopted her mother and was so close to Hines that she sometimes joined him on the red carpet to movie premieres and award shows as his plus one.
In 2012, Freeman had to publicly squash false reports that they were romantically involved.
Hines, who was also an actor, was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital.
She played Beneatha in A Raisin in the Sun on Broadway and was a founding member of the youth empowerment and writers organization SonEdna, according to its Web site.
She had recently moved into an apartment with her alleged killer on West 162 Street, a few buildings from where she was slain, neighbors said.
Their next-door neighbor Ben, 50, who declined to give his last name, said Hines was friendly and kept very busy.
We knew she was an actress
she was always on the move, always moving, going to auditions, he said
Two weeks ago, Hines finished filming Landing Up, a feature film about two young homeless women surviving on the streets of New York, its director Daniel Tenenbaum told The Post.
Were devastated. She was an amazing incredible, loving human being, Tenenbaum said.
She was one of the souls of the movie, the director grieved.
She really touched every single person on set, crew and cast, and was such a vivid part of this whole experience. She was here, she was in our office a couple days ago and we sat and talked and filmed her.
Her boyfriend was arrested and taken to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, officials said.
Its unclear why the man snapped, cops said.