North Carolina Democratic strategist dies after knife attack in her home

A 29-year-old Democratic strategist died early Wednesday morning from injuries suffered in a brutal stabbing in her Raleigh, North Carolina home. According to the Raleigh News-Observer, Jamie Kirk Hahn and her husband were both injured in an attack that took place Monday night.

Raleigh Police arrested Jonathan Broyhill, 31, a close friend of Jamie Hahn and her husband, Nation Hahn, in connection with the murder. Broyhill served as best man at Jamie and Nation Hahn's wedding and the three were close friends.

Jamie Hahn's family released a statement Wednesday morning that read, in part, "Jamie lost her struggle to live this morning. We lost a beautiful and loving wife, daughter and friend. We all lost a pure and brave spirit.”

Broyhill was a frequent dinner guest on Monday nights at the Hahns' home. He and Nation Hahn grew up together in Lenoir, North Carolina and shared an interest in college basketball.

Raleigh Police Department spokesman Jim Sughrue said Tuesday that Broyhill was charged with attempted murder, although police are currently in the process of upgrading the charges to murder. Sughrue did not say what may have prompted the attack, except to say that “the events underlying the incident were not domestic in nature.”

The attack took place shortly before 5:30 p.m. Monday. An identified 911 caller reported a woman who was "bleeding terribly" with multiple stab wounds to the abdomen. Witnesses elevated her feet and pressed towels to her wounds in an attempt to stanch the welling blood.

“She’s here in someone else’s yard,” said the caller. “I don’t know where she ran here from.”

Police arrived at the scene and followed the trail of blood back to the Hahn home, where they found Broyhill and an injured Nation Hahn.

Nation was treated for his injuries at WakeMed Hospital, then went to his wife's bedside. Tuesday evening, he attended a prayer vigil in Jamie's honor, hands and arms swathed in bandages.

Broyhill was treated for non-serious self-inflicted wounds and taken into custody.

“As a friend, this is devastating,” said Gary Pearce, another Democratic strategist who was at WakeMed with family members Tuesday. “Nation and Jamie are the finest, kindest, gentlest and most generous people you will ever meet.”

Watch video about this story, embedded below via Raleigh's ABC Channel 11: