MINDY MCCREADY died yesterday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.  Her body was found on the front porch of her home in Heber Springs, Arkansas.  She was 37

MINDY MCCREADY is dead at the age of 37.  A local sheriff issued a statement saying she died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at her Heber Springs, Arkansas home, which is 60 miles north of Little Rock.

--The sheriff said officers arrived at her house at 3:58 P.M. . . . where they found Mindy's body on the front porch.  Mindy's brother confirmed her death to the "New York Daily News".

--Mindy's rep told E!, quote, "I have no statement or information to provide until I get verification from the authorities in Arkansas and until all family including the children have been notified.  The family and I have been trying to reach the authorities.

--"I have not spoken to any officials that were on the scene.  I am asking the media for sensitivity in this regard.  At this time, any family member coming forward to confirm this is completely inappropriate."

--Mindy's life was tragic on so many levels that this doesn't come as a surprise, but it's heartbreaking nonetheless.  She had two young sons, six-year-old Zander . . . and nine-month-old Zayne.

--We may never know why Mindy decided to take her life now . . . but everything points to last month's shooting death of her boyfriend David Wilson.  That started out as a possible suicide . . . and then turned into Mindy being a suspect.

--Mindy's body was taken to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy.  There's no indication yet that she was under the influence when she died . . . but considering her history of substance abuse, that's not out of the question.

--Mindy attempted suicide twice in 2005 by drug overdose . . . and once in 2008 after she cut her wrists.

--One last note:  If you would like to make your thoughts known . . . people have been leaving messages on Twitter at #RIP Mindy.  (--We have celebrity reactions here.)

(--It's hard to remember that Mindy had a bright future back in the '90s.  She had a #1 hit with "Guys Do It All The Time" . . . and was engaged to DEAN "SUPERMAN" CAIN in 1997.  They broke up in '98.)

(--Her downward spiral included an arrest in 2004 for trying to pass off a fraudulent OxyContin prescription.  In 2005 her then-boyfriend Billy McKnight tried to MURDER HER.  McKnight is the father of her son Zander.)

(--Mindy also claimed she had a longtime affair with ROGER CLEMENS that supposedly began when she was a teenager.  Clemens insists they were just friends.)

Have a great day!

John Elliott