Gypsy Rose Blanchard, Abuse Victim Convicted in Mother’s Murder, Released From Prison
Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of her abusive mother, has been released from prison after serving seven years of her 10-year sentence.
Background on Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Release
Gypsy Rose Blanchard, the Missouri woman who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of her abusive mother, Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, has been released from prison. Blanchard was granted early release on parole after serving seven years of her 10-year sentence. She left the Chillicothe Correctional Center at 3:30 a.m.
In her guilty plea, Blanchard confessed to arranging for her boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, to kill Dee Dee in 2015 after enduring years of abuse. Godejohn, separately found guilty of first-degree murder, is serving a life sentence without parole since 2019.
The Disturbing Circumstances Surrounding Dee Dee's Death
The circumstances leading up to Dee Dee's death were incredibly distressing. It was revealed after Blanchard and Godejohn's arrest that Dee Dee likely suffered from Munchhausen by proxy, a rare mental illness where a caregiver intentionally makes a child sick for attention or sympathy.
Dee Dee led Blanchard to believe she had various serious illnesses and disabilities, subjecting her to unnecessary surgeries and medications. She even deceived others into thinking Blanchard had leukemia, muscular dystrophy, asthma, and brain damage. During this time, Dee Dee managed to collect donations from charities such as the Ronald McDonald House, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity.
The Disturbing Relationship Between Blanchard and Godejohn
Blanchard met Godejohn through an online correspondence on a Christian dating website when she was 18. Their relationship quickly turned violent and sexual over a couple of years, eventually leading to an alleged pact to kill Dee Dee.
Dee Dee was found stabbed to death in her home in June 2015, resulting in the arrest of Blanchard and Godejohn. During Godejohn's trial, his lawyers argued that Blanchard manipulated him into committing the crime and claimed that his autism prevented him from fully understanding the consequences. However, the jury was unconvinced and he was convicted in 2018.
