Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Ken Urker were still in a relationship and planned to move into a new apartment before his death, despite spending time apart, sources familiar with the situation have said.
Ms Blanchard had been staying with her parents for several weeks while belongings were moved from the couple’s old flat into their new home. The pair had not ended their relationship, sources said, and were not considered to be on a break.
The distance between them was linked to Mr Urker’s drinking, according to the sources. They said he had privately been struggling with alcohol for several months, recognised that he had a problem and attended at least one Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
His drinking had placed strain on the relationship, the sources said. Earlier this week, Ms Blanchard and her parents were moving items from the old apartment when they found an empty Crown Royal box.
Mr Urker was found dead on Thursday at a home in Raceland, Louisiana, on what would have been his 34th birthday.
Deputies found syringes and a spoon near a brown powdery substance inside the property, as well as another syringe on a bedside table. Law enforcement records say a caller had warned that Mr Urker had threatened suicide, owned a gun and was in a “dark place” after failing to turn up for work.
The police report classified the incident as an overdose and said there were no signs that anything in the bedroom had been disturbed. However, an autopsy carried out on Friday has not established a definitive cause of death.
Officials said the case remains under investigation while they await toxicology results.
