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The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed Kenan “Ken” Urker, the partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, was found dead inside his Louisiana home Thursday after loved ones requested a welfare check.
Anita Blanchard told authorities that she and her husband, who is Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s half-brother, went to the 34-year-old’s home and spotted Urker lying unconscious from an outside window, according to an incident report.
A man accompanying Anita Blanchard and her husband then entered the house through a window and found Urker, who was not breathing and cold to the touch, according to the report.
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Gypsy Rose Blanchard attends “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard” red carpet event on Jan. 5, 2024, in New York City. On Thursday, authorities found Blacnchard’s partner, Kenan “Ken” Urker, dead in his Louisiana home. (Getty Images)
Investigators recovered syringes and a spoon next to a brown powdery substance in the bathroom, as well as a handgun, two shot glasses, and a syringe on a nightstand next to the bed, the report states.
Deputies noted Urker “appeared to have been there for an extended period of time.”
Anita Blanchard told authorities that Urker had been with her and her husband at church the previous evening around 8:45 p.m., where he mentioned feeling depressed and upset.
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“They advised he made a TikTok live video at approximately 2300 hours,” deputies wrote. “They advised that he just had the video going while he was driving without him saying anything.”
Urker had amassed more than 36,000 followers on the platform.
After Urker failed to show up for work the following day, Anita Blanchard and Urker’s employer decided to check on him, ultimately prompting them to contact law enforcement.
The sheriff’s office told Fox News Digital the case remains under investigation, but there are “no signs of foul play.” Thursday was Urker’s 34th birthday.
“If that would change at any point, or there would be any major update in this investigation, we would issue a new statement,” the sheriff’s office said.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Melissa G. Moore attend An Evening with Lifetime: Conversations on Controversies FYC event at The Lounge at Studio 10 on May 1, 2024, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Variety via Getty Images)
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Gypsy Rose Blanchard was sentenced to 10 years in prison for second-degree murder in 2016 for her role in the fatal stabbing of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, alongside her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn. The killing inspired the 2019 TV series “The Act” on Hulu.
Godejohn was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Blanchard was released on parole in December 2023 after serving 85% of her sentence.
Urker and Gypsy Rose Blanchard got engaged in 2018 while she was incarcerated, but later separated. The couple rekindled after her first marriage and welcomed their daughter, Aurora, on Dec. 28, 2024.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Blanchard said she believes Urker died of a drug overdose.
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“I don’t know if it was intentional or not,” Gypsy Rose Blanchard told the outlet. “He was not in a good state of mind lately.”
She shared a photo of Urker on Instagram Friday, writing, “You will always be my greatest love story. You will be remembered and loved forever.”
Gypsy Rose Blanchard also shared an Instagram Story detailing his struggle with cyberbullying.
“Ken endured an unimaginable level of public scrutiny and relentless cyberbullying across social media platforms, including TikTok and Reddit,” she wrote. “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.”
“I will make sure [Aurora] grows up knowing how deeply her father loved her and who he was beyond what strangers on the internet chose to say about him,” she added.
The post, shared with her one million followers, garnered nearly 100,000 likes within hours.