Gypsy Rose Blanchard Sent Ken Urker a Two-Word Text on His Birthday — Hours Later, He Was Found Dead

The death of Ken Urker has left Gypsy Rose Blanchard and both families grieving, but the timeline surrounding his final hours has added another emotional layer to the tragedy.

On the very day Urker turned 34, Blanchard reached out to him — and hours later, he was found dead. Urker, Blanchard’s former fiancé and the father of their daughter, was found unresponsive at his home in Raceland, Louisiana, on Thursday, Oct. 1, according to TMZ.

Ken Urker Was Found Dead at His Louisiana Home

The Lafourche Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to a residence in Raceland after receiving a call at approximately 6:15 p.m. Urker was found dead when they arrived. Authorities said the death investigation was continuing.

The timing made the discovery particularly heartbreaking: October 1 was Urker’s 34th birthday. TMZ initially reported Urker's age as 33, noting that the day of his death would have been his 34th birthday.

The Lafourche Sheriff's Office later identified him as 34, consistent with PEOPLE's report that he died on his birthday. According to TMZ, Blanchard’s brother, Dylan, later discovered Urker inside the home. At the time of the initial report, Blanchard, her family, and Urker’s family were said to be in shock.

Gypsy Rose Speaks Out After His Death

Blanchard has since spoken publicly about the loss, telling PEOPLE that Urker overdosed, although she does not know whether the overdose was intentional. "I don't know if it was intentional or not," Blanchard tells PEOPLE exclusively. "He was not in a good state of mind lately."

She said Urker died in his bed at his Raceland home. "I'm in disbelief. I can't think," she says. "I've screamed until my throat burns." The Lafourche Sheriff's Office has not announced a final cause of death, and its investigation remains ongoing.

Blanchard described Urker as a devoted father to their daughter, Aurora Raina Urker, and spoke about the depth of their connection despite the complicated history of their relationship.

"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 tells PEOPLE exclusively.

Their Relationship Had Taken Several Turns

Urker and Blanchard's relationship began years before they became parents. The two first connected while Blanchard was incarcerated for the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. Urker proposed in October 2018, but they later called off their engagement before eventually reconnecting.

Their relationship was shaped by outside opinions even before their later reconciliation. In a 2025 interview with PEOPLE, Urker said his decision to separate from Blanchard had been influenced by "outside opinion and influence," including a podcast from Dr. Phil.

"I had listened to a podcast from Dr. Phil, and I had a lot of people in my ear just telling me that the best thing I can do for her is to give her some time to build a self-identity that she's never been able to build before," Urker told PEOPLE.

He said he ultimately believed those opinions — particularly Dr. Phil's — were the right reason for the pair to go their separate ways at the time. "So we went off in separate directions, but fate allowed us to meet back up again," he said.

The pair eventually went their separate ways for several years. During that period, Blanchard married Ryan Anderson. She later separated from Anderson four months after her release from prison in December 2023. Blanchard and Urker reconciled in April 2024, and eight months later, they welcomed their daughter, Aurora Raina Urker.

Their daughter was born in December 2024, making Urker's death a loss not only for the former couple but also for a young child who had only recently begun her life with both parents.

Blanchard Says Urker Faced Online Scrutiny

In her statement to PEOPLE, Blanchard also addressed the intense public attention that surrounded Urker during their relationship. She said he experienced what she described as relentless harassment on social media, specifically mentioning TikTok and Reddit.

"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," she tells PEOPLE.

"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."

Blanchard said she wants Aurora to grow up knowing her father for who he was rather than through the commentary surrounding him online. "Above all, Ken loved our daughter, Aurora. She is a beautiful reflection of his enduring spirit, and through her, a part of him will always remain with us," she tells PEOPLE.

"I will make sure she 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 also asked for privacy for those grieving. "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 tells PEOPLE. "He will be deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten."

Then There Was the Message on His Birthday

As details of Urker's final hours emerged, one small detail from the day became particularly poignant. According to TMZ, Blanchard had reached out to Urker on his birthday with a two-word message.

She sent him "Happy Birthday" but did not receive a response. The message came hours before Urker was found dead, turning what would ordinarily have been a simple birthday greeting into a haunting detail in the timeline of his final day.

The sequence is especially striking because Urker's death was not immediately known to Blanchard when she sent the message. She was simply trying to reach him on his birthday, according to the report.

The circumstances surrounding the message also became a point of tension after Urker's sister, Autumn, reportedly appeared on her TikTok Live following her brother’s death.

His Sister Revealed More About His Final Hours

In one of the livestreams, Autumn said Urker had spent time with Blanchard's brother Dylan, Dylan's wife, and another woman at church the night before his death. She said Urker had been emotional during the gathering and that the group had plans involving dinner the following day.

She also reportedly reflected on their last conversation, telling her followers that Ken's last words to her were, "I love you." According to Autumn's account, Dylan and his wife were the people who later went to Urker's home because they had plans to have dinner with him.

That account is consistent with TheWrap's report that Dylan and his wife found Urker unresponsive while they were planning to go out to dinner together.

Autumn's account adds an important detail to the timeline: Urker was apparently still spending time with members of Blanchard's family shortly before his death, even as questions later surfaced about the status of his relationship with Blanchard.

The precise timing of the church gathering, the planned dinner, and the discovery of Urker has not been fully established publicly, however, and Autumn's statements should be understood as her account of those events.

His Sister Also Addressed Gypsy Rose

In another emotional TikTok Live, Autumn reacted to the news of her brother's death and expressed uncertainty about what she would say to Blanchard. "Oh, my God. Ken was found deceased," she said, according to the livestream. "I don't know what I'd say to Gypsy right now," Autumn continued. "I don't want to be hateful. I don't want to be this way, but I'm angry."

Her comments came as she was visibly grieving her brother and responding to people asking questions about what had happened. The emotional livestreams followed earlier comments in which Autumn reportedly said that she and Urker's relationship with Blanchard had ended, while also criticizing the way news of his death became public.

Parade reported that Autumn said, "They've been split up," before accusing Blanchard of leaking the news. She also referenced the birthday message, saying, "Of course you went to TMZ that you texted him 'happy birthday' and didn't get a response. You ain't been getting a response."

Autumn's comments present a different account of the status of Blanchard and Urker's relationship at the time of his death. Those statements have not been independently confirmed, and they should be distinguished from the official information released by law enforcement.

At the time of publication, authorities had not publicly announced a final cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing, leaving many questions about Urker's final hours unanswered.

For now, the known timeline begins with a birthday message that went unanswered, continues through a planned dinner with members of Blanchard's family, and ends with Urker being found unresponsive at his Louisiana home.

His death has left behind not only two grieving families but also his young daughter, Aurora, whose mother says she will grow up knowing how deeply her father loved her.

RIP Ken Urker.