AKRON, Ohio --Brian Golec told his friends an hour before he died that he believed his father was doing drugs and stealing money, according to police. Now his father is accused of stabbing him to death.

Brian Golec confided to a friend about the fight he had with his father about an hour before investigators say he was stabbed in the neck.

Kevin Golec, 53, remains in the Summit County Jail and his first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday morning in Akron Municipal Court. He also faces murder and domestic violence charges. Kevin Golec called 911 after the stabbing and told police that members of a cult attacked and killed his son. He also told a dispatcher his son was in a cult.

"It just breaks my heart," his mother Christine Hamblin said Monday. "He was still figuring the rest of his life out. He really wanted to help people."

Close friends said that Brian Golec once identified as a woman and went by the name "Bri." They said that his gender identity was fluid, and in the year leading up to his death, he went by "Brian."

Akron police say Brian Golec's gender identity was not a factor in his death.

TransOhio, a Columbus-based advocacy group, issued a statement Sunday identifying Brian Golec as "Bri" and a transgender woman. The group responded to a request for comment by referring questions to local activist Jacob Nash, who did not return multiple messages.

Friends who spoke with Northeast Ohio Media Group on Monday said Brian Golec was the type of person who rejected labels.

"There was a time he identified as 'Bri' and as a woman, but for the last year or so, he identified as Brian," said friend Geoff Ackerman. "But Brian hated labels."

Brian Golec went to Coventry High School and eventually graduated from the Ohio Virtual Academy, an online school, where he got his diploma.

Hamblin said her son enjoyed painting, jewelry making, meditating, martial arts and video games. He lived with his girlfriend in the home in the 1100 block of Edmond Street, where he was killed about 10 p.m. Friday.

Brian Golec was also regarded as a talented drummer for the local alt rock-punk band Murphy's Children. He played his first live concert on Oct. 23 at the Empire in Akron.

"He loved music," according to band member Victor Murdock. "The world is going to have a little less music now."

Hamblin said her son and father had little or no contact before building a relationship about two years ago. Before then, he was absent in both of their lives.

The elder Golec had two felonies for failing to pay child support. He failed to pay $30,862 in child support for his son, according to Portage County court records. He was sentenced to six months in prison for that in 2007 and got five years probation for failing to pay child support in 2012.

The younger Golec found out his father was living out of his truck a few months ago. He invited him to live at his house, Hamblin said. She said it appeared the two were growing closer.

Friends said they only met Kevin Golec a few times, including once when he physically lashed out at his son's friends after a concert.

Murdock said that he was loading up the group's equipment at the Empire when he noticed Kevin Golec appeared to be drunk. The father tried to convince the son to ride home with him despite being intoxicated.

Murdock said he tried to keep Brian Golec from riding with his father. A fight broke out and Kevin Golec tried to hit Murdock with a beer bottle. Brian Golec stepped in to help his father, Murdock said.

"We were going to rough him up and call the cops," Murdock said. "Brian stepped in and said that it was his dad and that he didn't want us to do anything to him. He later got into the car with us and we took him home."

Ackerman, who also played in the band, said he gave Brian Golec a ride home from band practice on Friday. During the ride, Brian told him about a fight he had just had with his father. Ackerman said that Brian Golec said that he saw his father using drugs -- something he was adamantly against -- and stealing his money. The son confronted his father.

"It never seemed like it was going to get physical or anything," Ackerman said. "It didn't look like it was going to end like that."

A gofundme.com account was set up to help offset the funeral costs for Brian Golec. A benefit concert was set up for May 1 at Chuck's Steakhouse in Akron.