The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office has reported that Kenan “Ken” Urker, the partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, was found dead in his Louisiana home on Thursday. This discovery came after family members asked for a welfare check.
According to an incident report, Anita Blanchard, who is Gypsy’s half-brother’s wife, and her husband went to Urker’s house, where they noticed him lying unconscious through a window. A man with them managed to enter the home through that window and found Urker unresponsive and cold.
Authorities noted that syringes and a spoon containing a brown powder were discovered in the bathroom, along with a handgun and other items near the bed. The report indicated that Urker “appeared to have been there for an extended period of time.”
Earlier that evening, Anita mentioned that Urker had attended church with them and had expressed feelings of depression. He reportedly made a TikTok live video later that night while driving, though he didn’t speak during it. He had over 36,000 followers on the platform.
The next day, when he didn’t show up for work, Anita and Urker’s employer got concerned and called the police. The sheriff’s office stated that there was no evidence of foul play, and they confirmed the case is still under investigation. Interestingly, that Thursday was also Urker’s 34th birthday.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who was convicted of second-degree murder in 2016 for her involvement in the death of her mother, was released on parole in December 2023 after serving a significant portion of her sentence. Urker and Blanchard had a history together, having been engaged while she was incarcerated, though they separated for a time before reconciling.
In a statement, Blanchard shared her belief that Urker may have died from a drug overdose. She expressed uncertainty about whether it was intentional but mentioned that he had been struggling recently. Following his passing, she honored him on social media, describing him as her greatest love story and expressing hope that his death would serve as a reminder about the human impact of online bullying. Blanchard stated her intention to ensure that their daughter, Aurora, understands how much her father loved her.
