Gypsy, Murders, and Prison Release Oh My! By: Jennifer Kate
What's up, guys? I'm back with yet another blog, and today, we will talk about a fascinating story that goes back to 2015. Today, we will discuss Gypsy Rose and how she and her boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, killed Gypsy's mom, DeDe Blanchard.
Let's start with how we got to the killing of Dee Dee Blanchard cause there is a lot to talk about leading to this, and then at the end of the blog. I will get to my controversial hot take and feelings on this crazy story. For those of you who may know this story, you know of the big topic this blog will cover: Munchausen By Proxy Syndrome. And for those who don't know what the syndrome is, I will tell you. Munchausen By Proxy is a psychological disorder marked by attention-seeking behavior by a caregiver through those who are in their care. So basically, at a young age, Dee Dee made wild claims that Gypsy had all sorts of medical issues, such as Sleep Apnea, Leukemia, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizures, Asthma, and hearing and visual impairments. Unfortunately, I wish that this was the end of the crazy things with this story, but we haven't even scratched the surface yet. Dee Dee even lied about Gypsy's age. Due to Dee Dee's actions, Gypsy was prescribed many medications and had to sleep using a breathing machine. Gypsy also went through multiple surgeries and procedures on her Eyes and the removal of her Salivary glands. Gypsy's teeth rotted, possibly due to the medications, missing salivary glands, or neglect they were pulled out. Dee Dee would stop seeing doctors after they would question Gypsy's "ailments." When some of Dee Dee's family members noticed that Gypsy didn't need a wheelchair and asked questions, Dee Dee and Gypsy moved away.
In 2008, Gypsy and Dee Dee moved into a new home built by Habitat For Humanity. It was painted pink and had a wheelchair ramp. Gypsy and Dee Dee also received benefits, including charity-sponsored visits to concerts and Disney World. When Gypsy was 14, she saw a neurologist in Missouri who came to believe she was a victim of MBP. However, the doctor never reported this case to authorities. As Gypsy grew older, Dee Dee began to lie about her age, altering the dates on Gypsy's birth certificate to make her daughter seem younger. Gypsy was becoming more challenging for Dee Dee to control.
In 2011, Gypsy tried to escape from her mother with a man she'd met at a science fiction convention. Dee Dee soon tracked them down via mutual friends. Dee Dee convinced the man that Gypsy was a minor, though she was 19 years old at the time. According to Gypsy, Dee Dee smashed her computer and physically restrained her to the bed once they returned home. Gypsy also stated that her mother sometimes hit her and denied her food. This is where the story gets interesting; Gypsy eventually gets back online. She joined a Christian dating site where she met Nicholas Godjejohn. Gypsy told him the truth about her mother and asked him to kill Dee Dee so they could be together.
In June 2015, he came to her house and Stabbed Dee Dee while Gypsy waited in the bathroom with her ears covered. Gypsy and Godjejohn returned to his home in Wisconsin, where police found them. Gypsy had posted twice on her Facebook account, which she shared with her mother. She made a post that said her mother was dead (this was not what was said, but since it had a curse, I can't repeat it). She later explained she made the post because she wanted her mother's body to be found.
Gypsy took a plea deal for the charges she faced in Dee Dee's death in 2016. She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. She was sentenced to 10 years and is set to be released this December after serving 85% of her sentence. Her boyfriend wasn't as lucky and was sentenced to life in prison. Gypsy said she enjoys more freedom in jail than she shared with Dee Dee. However, when she asked Dr. Phil if she was glad her mother was dead, she said, "I'm glad I'm out of that situation, but I'm not happy she is dead."
Now that I have given you the story and explained how we got to that point where her mother was dead, it's time for me to share my opinion on the situation. I have a hot take to give you guys that I know will be a bit controversial, but I don't think that Gypsy should have gone to jail at all. I know this was her idea, but she didn't kill her mother, and she also was the one who suffered many years of physical, mental, and emotional trauma at the hands of her mother. I understand you had to punish her, but getting her mental and emotional help instead of just throwing her in jail would have been far more beneficial than jail. As for Dee Dee, I'm honestly glad she's not with us anymore as she didn't seem like a good person or a good mother and needed severe mental and emotional help for her various "issues." But at the end of the day, to say that Gypsy deserves better is an understatement.
But I will wrap it up for this blog. Thank you all for reading this blog. I hope you enjoyed it and also I hope you learned something and let me know your opinion. Once again, thank you so much for reading, and I will catch you in the next one.