They seemed so triumphant at the time, the lyrics to country music star Mindy McCready's hope-filled title track to her most recent album, "I'm Still Here."

"On a cold dark cloud, with nowhere to fall but down, like a single, naked, unrelenting tear ... I'm still here."

Now, those words sound like a cry for help.

On Sunday afternoon, McCready, whose turbulent personal life overshadowed her music, was found dead on the front porch of her Arkansas home, the victim, authorities said, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

She was 37.

McCready also appears to have shot and killed a dog that belonged to her late boyfriend, record producer David Wilson, before shooting herself, Cleburne County Sheriff Marty Moss said Monday.

Moss added that it appeared McCready was home alone.

McCready leaves behind two sons, 6-year-old Zander and 10-month-old Zayne.

"Zayne and Zander are loved, cared for and comfortable with foster families at this time," her representative told CNN in a statement.

The boys are in foster homes, the representative told CNN.

Just a month earlier, police had paid another visit to the house in Heber Springs.

On that day, they found Wilson, the infant's father, dead on the porch.

It has been reported that he also committed suicide by shooting himself, but Arkansas authorities say it's still an open investigation.

"We're currently still gathering information in regards to Mr. Wilson's case and Ms. McCready's case," Moss said. "When we're able to lay all that out there, we will do so at that time."

Just a few weeks ago, a sobbing McCready appeared on NBC's "Today" show and denied she had anything to do with Wilson's death.

"Oh, my God, no. Oh, my God, no," she said. "He was my life. We were each other's life."

After Wilson's death, McCready took a turn for the worse. Her father pushed for her to be committed to a mental institution.

The father of her oldest son, Billy McKnight, tried to regain custody of Zander.

Court papers say "McKnight is concerned about McCready's psychological state" and "has grave concerns for the welfare and safety" of Zander.

Spiraling downward

Born Malinda McCready, she burst onto the music scene in 1996 with her debut album, "Ten Thousand Angels."

It sold more than 2 million copies. Her chart-topping hit "Guys Do It All The Time" followed that same year.

In all, she put 14 songs and six of her albums on the Billboard country charts.

But through it all, she was spiraling downward; the final fall was painful and precipitous.

She struggled, often publicly, with addiction and mental illness.