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Who is Gypsy Rose Blanchard? Missuouri woman who convinced boyfriend to kill her abusive mom released from prison

Back in 2016, Gypsy Rose Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after convincing her boyfriend to stab her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, to death

Published on: Dec 29, 2023, 11:47:46 IST
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Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who was accused of helping her boyfriend murder her abusive mother, was released from prison on parole on Thursday, December 28. Back in 2016, Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. She admitted that she asked her boyfriend to fatally stab her mom, Dee Dee Blanchard, to death in her sleep.

FILE - Gypsy Rose Blanchard takes the stand during the trial of her ex-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn, Nov. 15, 2018, in Springfield, Mo. (Nathan Papes/The Springfield News-Leader via AP, File) (AP)
FILE - Gypsy Rose Blanchard takes the stand during the trial of her ex-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn, Nov. 15, 2018, in Springfield, Mo. (Nathan Papes/The Springfield News-Leader via AP, File) (AP)

Who is Gypsy Rose Blanchard and what was her crime?

Blanchard, a Missuouri woman, convinced her online boyfriend to kill her mom. Her story sparked national interest at the time of the incident.

Bhanchard, now 32, was sentenced to just ten years in prison after attorneys learned how she was abused by her mother. She experienced Munchausen syndrome by proxy, in which some kind of illness is faked, induced or exaggerated in a child by their caregiver. Dee Dee successfully convinced doctors and other people around her that Blanchard battled leukaemia and muscular dystrophy among other illnesses.

Blanchard confessed that she was in the house when Nicholas Godejohn, her partner, stabbed Dee Dee to death. She admitted that she did nothing to stop the crime.

Godejohn was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2019 for the murder of Dee Dee. He confessed that he committed the crime only because Blanchard convinced him to, according to court filings, CNN reported.

Missouri Department of Corrections spokesperson Karen Pojmann said said of the conditions of Blanchard’s release that “her original 10-year sentence started in June 2015, so, barring parole violations and other extenuating circumstances, it’s expected that she’ll be on parole supervision and reporting to a parole officer until June 2025.”

After Dee Dee was murdered, Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott said during a June 2015 press conference that “things are not always as they appear.” “I’ve never encountered anything that is even close to what Gypsy has gone through,” Blanchard’s attorney Michael Stanfield says in the HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Mommy Dearest. “Her mother appeared to have taken great steps to keep Gypsy in a very juvenile role, making her act several years younger than her actual age.”

Blanchard has served 85 percent of her sentence. The time she spent in the Greene County Jail before the Missouri Department of Corrections contributed to the overall sentence she was handed.

‘I regret it every single day’

Blanchard was spotted for the first time after being released from the Chillicothe Correctional Center, leaving her hotel room on Thursday, December 28, in Chillicothe, Missouri. She was seen alongside her husband, Ryan Scott Anderson, whom she married while she was still in prison. She appeared to be carrying bags of snacks and other essentials, and rolling out luggage.

Blanchard told PEOPLE shortly before her release that she regretted what she did to her mother “every single day.” “She didn't deserve that. She was a sick woman and unfortunately I wasn’t educated enough to see that,” she said. “She deserved to be where I am, sitting in prison doing time for criminal behavior.”

"I'm ready for freedom," she said. "I'm ready to expand and I think that goes for every facet of my life."

“No one will ever hear me say I'm proud of what I did or I'm glad that she's dead," she said. "I'm not proud of what I did. I regret it every single day."

  • Sumanti Sen
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Sumanti Sen

    Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More