Recently, the story of the woman who (had) her own mother murdered named Gypsy Rose Blanchard has gained some popularity again. In 2017, streaming network HBO released a series about it. Also, in 2019, a motion picture called “Love You to Death” was released in which this story was excellently portrayed.
Who was behind the murder and what were the motives of this young woman? What could be so terrible that you would murder your own mother?
What Happened?
Gypsy Rose was born in 1991, in the US state of Missouri and lived with her mother Clauddine, they often called her Dee Dee. Just before Gypsy was born, the father left Dee Dee and she found herself alone.
When Gypsy was still a baby, her mother told her that she suffered from sleep apnea, and the older she got, the more serious illnesses she suffered according to her mother.
What she didn’t know, however, is that her mother was cheating and making up that her daughter was sick. Putting her on medication, however, made her very ill.
Gypsy Rose also came to be on the respirator, because of all the intense medication that she did not need so her body let her down. She ended up in a wheelchair and could no longer walk.
Her mother kept a whole list of diseases that she “would” have.
From severe cancers to abnormalities in the body, she had it all according to Dee Dee.
According to several experts in the medical field, Dee Dee suffered from a condition called “Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.” This condition would cause her to constantly demand attention and sympathy in the form of attention for her “sick” daughter.
The Day She Found Out
When Gypsy Rose was 14 years old and visited a neurologist, he quickly raised the alarm with the authorities but they could do little because there was too little evidence against Dee Dee to do anything.
But what was certain is that there were few medical grounds to keep Gypsy on the heavy medication any longer.
In 2011 Gypsy ran away from her mother to get her freedom, but in vain her mother tracked her down and brought her home. Once at home, her mother tied her to the cap.
Online she met Nicholas Godejohn, a guy that already had some criminal records, and who would eventually kill her mother ordered by Gypsy Rose.
The Murder Plans of Gypsy Rose
In 2015, when Gypsy Rose’s mother was away from home Nicholas Godejohn came to the house and she let him in and then prepared the murder.
Gypsy Rose wanted to kill her mother but had nothing to do with it herself, Nicholas had to kill her without her hearing it and she hid in the bathroom with her hands against her ears so she didn’t have to hear it.
When she was dead, Gypsy Rose & Nicholas left for a motel nearby.
The police eventually found out about the murder after Gypsy Rose posted a message on Facebook that had something to do with the murder, the family became concerned and eventually enlightened the authorities.
The two a few days later were caught and arrested in Wisconsin.
Eventually, Gypsy Rose was brought to trial to stand trial for planning and ordering the murder. The judge ultimately did not think she should be convicted of 1st-degree murder given the particular situation which was seen as child abuse.
She was eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Today, she’s still imprisoned until 2024.
Originally Published on Medium by me (Bryan Dijkhuizen)
Sources & References
- Wikipedia contributors. (2022b, juni 3). Murder of Dee Dee Blanchard. Wikipedia. Geraadpleegd op 5 juni 2022, van https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Dee_Dee_Blanchard#Childhood_of_Gypsy
- Kettler, S. (2021, 3 juni). The Story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Her Mother. Biography. Geraadpleegd op 5 juni 2022, van https://www.biography.com/news/gypsy-rose-blanchard-mother-dee-dee-murder
- Diaz, Joseph; Smith, Jenner; Valiente, Alexa (January 4, 2018). “How a young woman forced to used a wheel chair, treated for several illnesses ended up in prison for her mother’s murder”. ABC News. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- Margaritoff, M. (2021, November 9). Nicholas Godejohn And The Grisly Murder Of Dee Dee Blanchard. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/nicholas-godejohn
