Bayou Billionaires star Valerie Dowden Wells 'shot dead in murder suicide by boyfriend'

  • The 47-year-old was a cast member on the 2012 CMT reality show
  • Shot multiple times and found in her car parked at Louisiana McDonald's
  • She was killed by Robert Paul Gaddy, who then turned the gun on himself
  • She is survived by three children 

By Ross Mcdonagh For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

Valerie Dowden Wells has been shot dead in an apparent murder suicide.

The 47-year-old was a cast member on the 2012 CMT reality show Bayou Billionaires, which featured their family after they struck it rich thanks to mineral rights.

She was found shot multiple times in her car parked in a McDonald's in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Murdered: Bayou Billionaires star Valerie Dowden Wells (in red) has been 'shot dead in murder-suicide by her boyfriend'. She is pictured with her daughters Nikki (second from right) and Jessica, and her son Devyn

Murdered: Bayou Billionaires star Valerie Dowden Wells (in red) has been 'shot dead in murder-suicide by her boyfriend'. She is pictured with her daughters Nikki (second from right) and Jessica, and her son Devyn

She was killed by Robert Paul Gaddy, pictured, who then turned the gun on himself

She was killed by Robert Paul Gaddy, pictured, who then turned the gun on himself

Sgt. Rod Johnson revealed she was killed by Robert Paul Gaddy, 46, who then turned the gun on himself.

They were both taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead and he later died. 

'We know they had a relationship of some type, but I can’t tell you if they were friends having a dispute or formerly intimate. We simply don’t know at this moment,' Johnson told People magazine.

'We have some guesses, but we’d like to back that up with hard facts.'

Reality star: Bayou Billionaires was the 'modern day rags to riches story' of the Dowden family ¿ a hardworking family of modest means who discover their home sits on the fourth largest deposit of natural gas in the United States

Reality star: Bayou Billionaires was the 'modern day rags to riches story' of the Dowden family — a hardworking family of modest means who discover their home sits on the fourth largest deposit of natural gas in the United States

Her body was found here in the parking lot of a Louisiana McDonald's

Her body was found here in the parking lot of a Louisiana McDonald's

He said Valerie had pulled up to the parking lot around 4pm on Monday, before Gaddy walked up to the side of her vehicle and fired multiple shots. 

They had previously been in a relationship, according to KSLA. 

Bayou Billionaires‘ executive producer Brian Flanagan told People that Gaddy 'is a man [Wells] knew from high school, who she recently started dating.'

'She was a sweetheart. Valerie suffered from MS, but she was incredibly strong,' Flanagan said. 'She was ill for a very long time but worked through it. She always had a smile on her face. She was sunshine walking through a room, and it’s incredibly sad news.'

Flanagan was informed of the news via a text from Valerie's mother Kitten.

'It’s complete heartbreak,” he said, adding the family 'is not doing well'.

Bayou Billionaires was the 'modern day rags to riches story' of the Dowden family — a hardworking family of modest means who discover their home sits on the fourth largest deposit of natural gas in the United States. The show first aired in 2012. 

Valerie is survived by her three children. 

Her parents Kitten and Gerald Dowden, wrote on their personal Facebook page: 'This is really hard on us and her children. It is out of order. No parents should have to go through this.' 

Valerie worked at a public defender's office. A friend described her in a Facebook post as 'kind and giving'. 

Grief: Her parents Kitten and Gerald Dowden, wrote on their personal Facebook page: 'This is really hard on us and her children. It is out of order. No parents should have to go through this.'

Grief: Her parents Kitten and Gerald Dowden, wrote on their personal Facebook page: 'This is really hard on us and her children. It is out of order. No parents should have to go through this.'

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