RACELAND, LA. (THECOUNT) — Ken Urker, 34, the partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and father of their daughter, was found dead Thursday at a residence in Raceland, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. Blanchard became nationally known after helping arrange the 2015 murder of her abusive mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, and later serving more than eight years in prison.
Gypsy Rose has said she endured years of abuse at the hands of her mother, who falsely portrayed her as suffering from numerous serious illnesses and subjected her to unnecessary medical treatments. Experts have described Dee Dee Blanchard’s alleged behavior as consistent with Munchausen syndrome by proxy, in which a caregiver fabricates, exaggerates or induces illness in another person to gain attention or sympathy.
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The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a residence at approximately 6:15 p.m. Oct. 1 after receiving a call about a death. Urker was found dead upon arrival, and authorities said the death investigation remains ongoing.
Urker died on his 34th birthday, according to PEOPLE. Blanchard subsequently told the publication that she believes Urker died from an overdose, but said she does not know what substance he took or whether the overdose was intentional. Authorities have not publicly confirmed an overdose as the cause or manner of death.
Blanchard told PEOPLE that Urker died in his bed at his Raceland home and said he had not been in a good state of mind recently. She described him as an “amazing father” and said he would remain her “soulmate” and “red string,” referring to their belief in a lasting connection.
Urker and Blanchard shared daughter Aurora Raina Urker, who was born in December 2024. Blanchard said she wants their daughter to know her father for the person he was rather than through the public scrutiny surrounding their relationship.
Urker first connected with Blanchard in 2017 while she was incarcerated for her role in her mother’s killing. After watching the HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest, which examined Dee Dee Blanchard’s murder and the abuse Gypsy Rose said she suffered during childhood, Urker wrote her a letter.
The correspondence eventually became a romantic relationship. Urker proposed to Blanchard in 2018 while she was still in prison, but the couple later ended their engagement and went their separate ways.
Blanchard was released from prison in December 2023 after serving more than eight years of a 10-year sentence. During her incarceration, she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for her role in her mother’s death.
After her release, Blanchard separated from her husband, Ryan Scott Anderson, whom she had married in 2022. The divorce was finalized in December 2024.
Blanchard and Urker rekindled their relationship in April 2024 and announced several months later that they were expecting a child. Their daughter was born Dec. 28, 2024.
Urker subsequently appeared with Blanchard on the Lifetime reality series Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up, which documented their relationship and family life following their reconciliation.
Blanchard has also said Urker faced intense scrutiny and harassment online. In her statement to PEOPLE following his death, she said she believed the public attention and cyberbullying had a profound impact on him. Authorities have not publicly attributed his death to online harassment.
Urker’s sister, Autumn, publicly confirmed his death during a TikTok livestream Thursday night, according to PEOPLE. A family member also reportedly discovered Urker at the Raceland residence after he did not respond to a birthday message.
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding Urker’s death. No official cause or manner of death has been announced.
Raceland is a community in Lafourche Parish in southern Louisiana, located along U.S. Highway 90 between Houma and New Orleans and approximately 50 miles southwest of New Orleans.
Google Maps: Raceland, Louisiana
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