New details about Gypsy Rose Blanchard ex-fiancé Ken Urker’s death at age 34 have come to light.
Urker was found dead on Thursday, October 1, after Gypsy’s sister-in-law Anita Blanchard called 911 for a wellness check. Per a police report obtained by Us, Anita claimed that Urker was in “a dark place” and didn’t attend work that day. (According to the dispatch report, Anita had said she last saw Urker at church on Wednesday, September 30, where he allegedly told her that he was depressed. A 911 call log from Thursday also reported that Anita claimed Urker was drinking the night before.)
Local law enforcement officers were subsequently dispatched to Urker’s house in Louisiana for a welfare check, with the report noting he did not answer his phone or the door to his home. Eventually, Gypsy’s half-brother, Dylan Blanchard, gained entry by climbing in through an unlocked bedroom window. The report further reveals Dylan found Urker unconscious in his bed.
When police entered the property, they reportedly discovered drug paraphernalia in the bathroom next to “a brown powdery substance.” A syringe, handgun and two shot glasses were also found beside Urker’s bed on a nightstand.
“Mr. Urker was found lying on the bed on his back, cold to the touch, and appeared to have been there for an extended period of time,” the police report reads. “His face and his arms were blue. He had a paper towel placed on his left arm with what appeared to be blotches of blood on the paper towel.”
A cause of death has not been determined pending an ongoing investigation.
Urker is survived by his 21-month-old daughter, Aurora, whom he shared with ex Gypsy, 35.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Ken Urker began their relationship as pen pals. Following the 2017 HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest, Urker wrote Blanchard a “letter of support” while she was incarcerated. The twosome kept in touch while Blanchard served her prison sentence and eventually shared a smooch when he visited her in jail. (She […]
“Ken was an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved,” Gypsy wrote in a social media statement on Thursday, breaking her silence on Urker’s death. “He will forever be my soulmate and my red string, a connection that time, distance, and even death can never erase.”
She continued, “Above all, Ken loved our daughter, Aurora. She is a beautiful reflection of his enduring spirit, and through her, a part of him will always remain with us. I will make sure she grows up knowing how deeply her father loved her and who he was beyond what strangers on the internet chose to say about him. He will be deeply missed, forever loved and never forgotten.”
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If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
