Mindy mccready arrested for a dui 2005, William Mcknight allegedly choked and beaten her

Mindy mccready arrested for a dui 2005, William Mcknight allegedly choked and beaten her, Mindy McCready's ex, Billy McKnight, said that he isn't surprised the country star took her own life because "she's been battling demons for so long," according to a Feb. 18, 2013, People Magazine interview.

McKnight, the father of McCready's oldest son Zander, age 6, was one of those demons based on police records. But he points to the demons of substance abuse instead, stating that "The demons that she hasn't beaten were there."

McCready did battle substance abuse demons as well as the demons of alcohol. Police reports detail a 2004 arrest for trying to buy OxyContin with a fake prescription, as well as her 2005 arrest for drunk driving.

The country singer has also battled depression at times, telling Oprah Winfrey in a Nov. 2005 interview that she was so depressed that she tried to take her own life. It was her first attempt, but she would go on to attempt it again in 2008, and then almost accomplish it with a drug overdose in 2010.

Billy McKnight told People Magazine on Sunday that "I was around her when she attempted suicide twice, so I knew it was in her," as well he should since she told Oprah Winfrey that she tried to kill herself the first time because she couldn't believe that McKnight had no remorse for beating her so severely.

In that interview, aptly titled "Mindy McCready's Deadly Denial," Mindy also confessed that McKnight had sent her to the emergency room two times before the more severe beating in 2005. McKnight was arrested and charged with attempted criminal homicide as a result.

McCready also said that she had begun to believe the things McKnight told her. So she wrote a suicide note that explained how "he's convinced me how truly horrible I am."

When the two finally broke up, the conflict between them didn't disappear, as Mindy was left with custody of their son, before losing it to her mother later, when substance abuse issues resurfaced again. So there was always the conflict of parenting Zander.

Billy is alleged to have substance abuse issues as well, and with his violent criminal history also a factor, both worked to prevent him from gaining custody of his son at the time McCready lost custody to her mother.

Mindy lost custody recently of Zander, and his 10-month old half-brother Zayne to the state of Arkansas--due to her deteriorating condition following David Wilson's alleged suicide on Jan. 13--and McKnight didn't get his son back then either. And he doesn't understand why.

In a Feb. 7, 2013 interview conducted by ABC News with Billy McKnight he said he was even more adamant than ever to get his son back, even if he had to travel to Arkansas to do it, stating that "I can't figure out why he's not home right here with me, in a stable environment."

With Mindy's unexpected death, McKnight may now stand a better chance of that happening.

He needs to be out of that foster care. He doesn't belong there. He's unhappy and this is unfair," McCready's ex said less than two weeks ago.

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Cleburn County Ark. Coroner Warren Olmstead is now stating that Mindy McCready, like her boyfriend David Wilson before her, has apparently died from a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound.

However, David Wilson's death has not been ruled a suicide. And though an autopsy was conducted in his case--and will be performed in her case--police are making it clear they are not ready to rule yet on whether the deaths were the result of foul play or suicide.

A thorough and complete investigation is expected to follow in Mindy's death, just as one is continuing in the death of David Wilson. And the state of Arkansas is likely not to release the children of David Wilson and Bill McKnight to anyone until those investigations are complete.