Ken Urker, Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s partner, died on Thursday, Oct. 1, at his home in Louisiana, she confirmed to PEOPLE

NEED TO KNOW

• Ken Urker was found dead at his home next to drug paraphernalia and a holstered handgun
• Urker, who was Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s partner, died on Thursday, Oct. 1, at his home in Louisiana
• A spokesperson for the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed Urker’s death at 34

New details are emerging following the sudden death of Ken Urker.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s partner died on Thursday, Oct. 1, at his home in Louisiana, she confirmed to PEOPLE. A spokesperson for the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed that officers were called to a residence in Raceland at around 6:15 p.m. local time, and Urker, 34, was found “dead upon arrival.”

On Thursday evening, Gypsy Rose’s sister-in-law, Anita Blanchard, called in a welfare check on Urker because he had skipped work and was not answering his phone or door, according to a report from the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. A family friend had been trying Urker’s door “for over an hour.”

Dylan Blanchard, Gypsy Rose’s younger half-brother, saw Urker lying unconscious on his bed through the bedroom window. When responding officers entered through the window, Urker was “cold to the touch.”​

Once deputies arrived, they located paraphernalia—specifically syringes and a spoon—in the bathroom next to a brown, powdery substance, according to the sheriff’s office report. They also found a syringe, two shot glasses and a handgun on the nightstand next to the bed.

Deputies noted that Urker had a blood-stained paper towel placed on his left arm. Additionally, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE that “there was no evidence of a gunshot wound.”

Anita told authorities that Urker was at church with them on Wednesday, Sept. 30, and had told her and Dylan that he was “depressed and upset.” Anita told the 911 operator that Urker was in a “dark place” and had voiced thoughts of killing himself before. She also noted that Urker had been drinking that night, according to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Gypsy Rose says that Urker “wasn’t in a good state of mind lately. He had been drinking a lot to cope.”

Urker’s sister, Savannah Urker, called in a separate welfare check. Savannah told the operator that someone had called her saying her brother was dead, and she wanted to know if he was okay.

Gypsy Rose reportedly sent Urker a “happy birthday” text but did not receive a response, according to TMZ. Dylan and his wife later found him when they arrived at the home.

His sister, Autumn, went live on TikTok that night and also confirmed his death. She said that his last words to her were “I love you.”

Gypsy Rose told PEOPLE she was in “disbelief” following her partner’s death. “I’ve screamed until my throat burns,” she said.

She and Urker welcomed a daughter, Aurora, in 2024, shortly after they rekindled their romance. They were originally engaged in 2018, while Gypsy Rose was in prison for the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, but called things off before reconciling in 2019, only to split again. They reconnected once more after Gypsy Rose’s divorce from Ryan Anderson in 2024.

“Ken was an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved,” she told PEOPLE. “He will forever be my soulmate and my red string, a connection that time, distance, and even death can never erase.”

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“There are no words that can express the depth of this loss. I ask for privacy and compassion for our daughter, our families, and everyone grieving Ken during this incredibly painful time,” she added. “He will be deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten.”

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