Urker, father of Blanchard’s daughter, was found dead at his Louisiana home on his birthday

Ken Urker, the former fiancé of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and father of her daughter, has died at the age of 34.

The Lafourche Sheriff’s Office confirmed that officers responded to a Louisiana residence on Thursday, October 1, after receiving a call at around 6:15pm. Urker was found dead at the property, and his death remains under investigation.

Urker died on his birthday. According to reports, Blanchard had sent him a birthday message earlier in the day but received no response. He was later found by Blanchard’s brother Dylan and his wife, who had planned to collect him for dinner.

Urker and Blanchard first connected as prison pen pals in 2017 while she was serving a sentence for her role in the 2015 killing of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard. Their relationship developed while Blanchard was incarcerated, and they became engaged in 2018 before splitting the following year.

Blanchard later married Ryan Anderson in a prison ceremony in 2022. The marriage ended after her release from prison in December 2023, and she subsequently rekindled her relationship with Urker in 2024.

The couple announced they were expecting a child in July 2024. Their daughter, Aurora Raina Urker, was born in December 2024.

Urker’s sister, Autumn, also confirmed his death publicly on TikTok.

Blanchard was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder for her role in her mother’s killing. She was released on parole in December 2023.