Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s upcoming release from prison: What to know and what to expect
Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who was convicted of her mother’s murder in 2016, is set to be released from prison on Dec. 28 after serving approximately eight years of her 10-year sentence, per Ozarks First.
Blanchard’s case made headlines after it was revealed that her mother, Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, had fabricated Gypsy’s medical records for years in an apparent case of factitious disorder imposed on another (previously known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy). The case became the focus of several documentaries and one Hulu miniseries, “The Act.”
Gypsy, now 32, and her boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, were both charged with Dee Dee’s murder, although Godejohn was sentenced to life in prison and is not eligible for parole, according to People.
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What happened with Gypsy Rose Blanchard?
Dee Dee Blanchard told her family, friends and neighbors that her daughter Gypsy suffered from a plethora of medical issues, including leukemia and muscular dystrophy. However, Gypsy was never actually sick. Per People, she describes her upbringing as abusive, saying she was given medications with adverse side effects and forced to undergo painful medical procedures.
Investigators believe Dee Dee was at least partially motivated by financial gain. According to The Associated Press, she received donations from various sources over the years and even received a free house from Habitat for Humanity.
Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott told reporters her myriad illnesses had been faked as part of a “financial fraud scheme,” per The Associated Press.
“This is a tragic, tragic event surrounded by mystery and public deception,” Arnott said.
Dee Dee Blanchard was found dead in her home with multiple stab wounds in 2015, per People. After a brief search, investigators found Gypsy with her boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, and charged them both with Dee Dee’s murder.
Gypsy confessed she had met Godejohn online and had encouraged him to kill her mother. She was convicted of second-degree murder in 2016 and received a 10-year prison sentence, per Today.
Where is Nicholas Godejohn now?
A court found Godejohn guilty of first-degree murder in 2018. He was given a life sentence with no possibility of parole, per The Associated Press.
In a 2019 interview, Godejohn called Blanchard his “soulmate” and said their time together made for “the best days of (his) life,” per People.
The Springfield News-Leader reported Godejohn’s lawyers filed for a new trial on Dec. 5, citing Godejohn’s autism diagnosis as basis for a diminished capacity defense.
When will Gypsy Rose Blanchard be released from prison?
In September, the Missouri Department of Corrections announced Blanchard had been granted parole. She was given an expected early release date of Dec. 28, 2023,, per Ozark First.
According to the Springfield News-Leader, Blanchard plans to write a book about her childhood and time in prison following her release.
