INSIDE EDITION looks back at the life of troubled country star Mindy McCready who was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gun wound at her home.
Haunting words from the late country star Mindy McCready.
McCready once said, "I truly do more than anything, I want redemption. I want to make things right. I want people to know that I am sorry and I do deserve a second chance."
Sadly, redemption was not to be. We're now learning that McCready's final days were tortured.
The nation is still reeling over her suicide. She shot herself on the porch of her home in Heber Springs, Arkansas, in the exact spot where her boyfriend, David Wilson, died from a gunshot wound on January 13th. Before turning the gun on herself, she also shot the family dog.
She had left rehab last week after spending just two days there. She said she began drinking again because she couldn't cope with the death of her "soulmate".
INSIDE EDITION spoke with her in 2010, before McCready and Wilson went public with their relationship. They playfully dodged questions from our Diane McInerney.
McInerney asked, "Do you talk about marriage?"
McCready said, "I don't talk about marriage."
McInerney asked, "What about you David? Do you talk about marriage?"
At that moment, McCready and Wilson smiled at each other.
The last few weeks of McCready's life were lived under a cloud of investigation. Police called her boyfriend's death suspicious and they wanted to know whether she played a role in it. She was asked about it recently on Dateline NBC.
She was asked, "Did you kill your boyfriend?"
McCready replied, "No! He was my everything. He was my life."
McCready rocketed to the top of the country charts in 1996, but fame and fortune proved to be a curse.
Her long downward spiral bottomed out with a disturbing video of her writhing on the floor in a drug withdrawal seizure on the TV show, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.
Celebrity Rehab host Dr. Drew Pinsky is now coming under fire as McCready’s death marks the fifth casualty of the 41 famous faces to seek treatment from his VH1 series. Those deceased include Grease actor Jeff Conaway and beating victim Rodney King.
Dr. Drew issued the following statement: "I am deeply saddened by this awful news. My heart goes out to Mindy’s family and children."
Addiction therapist Sherry Gaba was involved in treating McCready on the show.
Gaba told INSIDE EDITION, "After having all those losses. Losing your boyfriend, losing your children, losing your battle with drug addiction and alcoholism, her career. I mean, you can only handle so much."
This year, McCready hit rock bottom when she lost custody of her sons, Zander and Zayne.
Billy McKnight, the father of McCready's six-year-old son Zander, spoke on the Today show.
He said, "As sad as it is, it didn't come as a major shock, because she's just been battling demons for so long."
Carrie Underwood tweeted her condolences, "I grew up listening to Mindy McCready...so sad for her family tonight."
LeAnn Rimes said, "I knew her well. It's a horrible tragedy. May peace be with her sons."
She was 37 years old.
