David Wilson, the live-in boyfriend of troubled country singer Mindy McCready, shot himself in his Arkansas home on Sunday night.
New sheriff reports reveal that David Wilson, 34, was found in his house in Heber Springs with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and he was transported to the local hospital but declared dead shortly after.
Mindy McCready, who has publicly struggled with drug problems, described her live-in boyfriend as her “soul mate” and “life partner” as she announced his death on Sunday.
The official Cleburne County Sheriff’s department confirmed that police and emergency services responded to a call at approximately 6:15 p.m. on Sunday though it is unclear who made the call.
The scene is a familiar one to police, as David Wilson was found shot in the same house where Mindy McCready was discovered hiding in a closet in December 2011 with her elder son Zander after a nationwide manhunt as part of a long custody dispute.
Zander was taken from Mindy McCready’s arms and placed in foster care.
Mindy McCready’s mother and step-father had legal custody of him at the time, following McCready’s lengthy and public battle with drug addiction.
It’s unclear whether Zander is living with Mindy McCready, if he has been returned to his grandparents and if he remains in foster care.
David Wilson is the father of Mindy McCready’s younger son, Zayne, who was born in April.
“Today, we mourn the loss of my life partner and my children’s father, David Wilson,” Mindy McCready said in a statement she released.
“David was my soulmate; he was a caregiver and guiding hand to our sons, Zander and Zayne.
“He was a precious gift from God to all of us and, yesterday, he returned home and is now with his mother and father. David loved and he was loved.
“Those who knew and loved him will miss him; those who did not know David missed the opportunity to know a truly loving and gifted man.”
The police report says that emergency services arrived at David Wilson’s house on Fox Chase Road at 6:15 p.m. and transported him to nearby Baptist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:00 p.m.
No criminal charges have been filed but the investigation is ongoing.
Mindy McCready’s father Timothy said that the family were still coming to terms with their loss.
The house on Fox Chase Road became the center of the custody battle between Mindy and her parents after she kidnapped her elder son and hid out in the house that was then-owned by her father Timothy McCready. News reports said at the time that neither the singer nor David Wilson- who was found in the house with her- were allowed to be on the property.
The house has since legally changed hands, and is now owned by a relative of David Wilson’s.
David Wilson is said to be a record producer and songwriter, though it is unclear who he worked with specifically.
Mindy McCready rose to fame in 1996 with her hit country song Ten Thousand Angels. Her album of the same name went double platinum – though that marked the peak of her career.
She struggled with arrests and drug addiction after her career began to faded in the late 1990s.
She was dropped by BNA Records in after her 1999 album had disappointing sales and then dropped by Capitol Records in after her 2002 record suffered the same fate.
Mindy McCready was arrested in Tennessee in 2004 and pleaded guilty to using a fake prescription to buy the painkiller OxyContin.
She was arrested in Nashville in May 2005 for drunk driving and driving with a suspended license after she was stopped for speeding. Two months later, Mindy McCready was charged with identity theft, unlawful use of transportation, unlawful imprisonment, and hindering prosecution in Arizona.
She was arrested twice, in 2005, 2007 and 2008, for violating the term of her probation.
In July 2007, Mindy McCready was arrested in Fort Myers, Florida and charged with fighting with her mother.
In 2005 and 2008, Mindy McCready was hospitalized for attempting suicide. She was taken to the hospital in 2010 for a drug overdose, as well.
Mindy McCready has been mounting a comeback in recent years, though. Her 2010 album I’m Still Here was praised by critics for her vocal prowess.
She also appeared on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew as she attempted to work out her drug issues.
On the show’s website, VH1 made references to her personal problems and even pegged the root of her troubles on her relationships.
Mindy McCready’s biography on the show’s page says: “Although she was arrested and jailed for trying to buy OxyContin with a false prescription and attempted suicide with an overdose of drugs and alcohol, Mindy believes her only true addiction is to violent relationships.”
