Gypsy-Rose Blanchard's house

This is Gypsy-Rose and Dee Dee Blanchard's former house.

It is located at 2103 West Volunteer Way in Springfield, Missouri.

In 2015, it became the site of one of Missouri's most infamous murder cases.

Dee Dee (48) lived in this house with her wheelchair-bound daughter, Gypsy-Rose (23), who she claimed had muscular dystrophy, leukemia, and the mental capacity of a young child.

On June 14, 2015, someone posted the words "That B*tch is dead!" on Gypsy-Rose's Facebook profile.

The status, which seemed out of character, worried friends and neighbors so much that they immediately contacted the authorities.

Discovery

When the police entered the property to carry out a welfare check, they discovered Dee Dee lying face-down in a pool of blood on her bed. An autopsy revealed she had sustained 17 stab wounds to the back.

Although Dee Dee's disabled daughter, Gypsy-Rose, was missing, her wheelchairs were still in the house. This raised fears that she had been kidnapped by the killer.

On June 15, the authorities announced they had found Gypsy-Rose safe and well at an address in Big Bend, Wisconsin.

Revelation

It later emerged that Gypsy-Rose did not need a wheelchair. Nor was she suffering from any of the health conditions her mother claimed she had.

Dee Dee suffered from a mental disorder called Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Parents with the disorder will create the illusion that their child is suffering from an illness or injury. They may lie about their child's medical history and tamper with tests. In extreme cases, they might even harm their child to keep the charade going.

The motivation for this behavior is to gain sympathy, attention, donations, and gifts.

Gypsy-Rose claimed that her mother was physically abusive and would strike her if she contradicted any of her claims. She also said her mother regularly shaved her hair off to appear like she was undergoing chemotherapy.

To maintain this facade, Dee Dee homeschooled her daughter and prevented her from forming friendships.

Nicholas Godejohn

In 2012, Gypsy-Rose secretly began an online relationship with a man named Nicholas Godejohn. She was able to hide her activity from her mother by using a series of fake Facebook profiles.

At some point in 2015, the couple concluded that they could never be together as long as Dee Dee was still alive.

Murder

On the night of June 10, 2015, Gypsy-Rose let her boyfriend into the house while her mother was sleeping. She then handed him a knife and hid in the bathroom while he carried out the crime.

Following the murder, the couple stayed at a nearby motel for a few days before traveling to Godejohn's home in Wisconsin. However, the police located them by tracing the IP address that created the Facebook status.

In November 2018, Godejohn was found guilty of first-degree murder. Three months later, a judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Gypsy-Rose's case never went to trial, as she accepted a plea bargain following her arrest and pleaded guilty to second-degree one month later. As a result, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

After spending eight years in prison, she was released on parole on December 28, 2023.