The lifeless body of Ken Urker, the long-time partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and father of her daughter, was discovered at a home in Raceland, Louisiana, on October 1, with the cause of death still unclear.
According to the ongoing probe into his death, deputies from the Lafourche Sheriff’s Office found Urker unresponsive upon arrival after receiving a call from the residence at 6:15pm.
Sources close to the family of the deceased told TMZ that Urker’s death occurred on his 34th birthday.
The situation came to light after Blanchard did not receive a response to her birthday message.
Her worries about her partner’s silence on his own birthday later gained clarity after her brother Dylan found Urker dead in his bed at home.
Death that cites toll of public scrutiny
In her exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Blanchard confirmed that Urker has been unstable for quite some time but she still has no clue whether her partner’s death was intentional or not.
Nonetheless, Blanchard remembers Urker as the love of her life and an attentive father to Aurora.
“Ken was an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved. He will forever be my soulmate and my red string, a connection that time, distance, and even death can never erase,” she said.
The couple’s relationship brought Urker heavy scrutiny and a steady stream of online harassment.
According to Blanchard, “Ken endured an unimaginable level of public scrutiny and relentless cyberbullying across social media platforms, including TikTok and Reddit. The cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure.”
“I believe the tremendous weight of that scrutiny and harassment had a profound impact on him, and I hope his passing serves as a reminder that there is a real person behind every screen, every headline, and every comment,” she added.
Blanchard has urged respect for the privacy of Urker’s loved ones in this difficult time.
“He will be deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten.”
An on-again, off-again romance
The two had their first encounter through a pen pal programme while Blanchard was serving her sentence for the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard.
Their exchange of messages later led to an engagement that lasted from October 2018 to August 2019.
Blanchard then married Ryan Anderson during their years of separation.
But her marriage with Anderson only lasted for about four months after being freed in December 2023.
Urker and Blanchard reconciled in 2024 and celebrated the birth of their daughter Aurora that December.
He also appeared on both seasons of Lifetime’s “Gypsy Rose: Life After Lockup.”
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