Gypsy Rose Blanchard Released From Prison Early

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Facts

• Gypsy Rose Blanchard, 32, has been released three years early from her ten-year prison sentence for plotting with her boyfriend to kill her abusive mother, Dee Dee, in Missouri in 2015.¹
• Blanchard, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016, faced a potential life sentence for first-degree murder, but struck a plea deal with prosecutors due to the abuse she had suffered.²
• She had testified that Dee isolated her from the outside world, forced her to use a wheelchair, pushed her to endure needless medical treatments, and falsely told people that she was suffering multiple illnesses.³
• Dee reportedly had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which a parent or caretaker creates fake symptoms to make it look like their dependent is sick so as to receive sympathy.⁴
• As a result of her falsifications, Dee and Blanchard reportedly received charitable donations, a trip to Disney World, and a home from Habitat for Humanity.⁴
• Meanwhile, Nicholas Godejohn, Blanchard's boyfriend — who prosecutors claim stabbed his partner's mother 17 times — is continuing to serve a life sentence.²

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²The Hill, ³E! Online and ⁴NBC Chicago.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Tyla. This early release illustrates that even the court understands Blanchard's unique circumstances. A prison sentence was not what she needed after spending her entire life being exploited by her troubled mother. Support at a psychiatric institution would have been far more appropriate for Blanchard than incarceration, as she will likely struggle to reintegrate into society following her mother's abuse.
• Narrative B, as provided by Court TV. No one doubts the severe trauma endured by Gypsy Rose Blanchard, but her role in her mother's death still had to be addressed by law enforcement and the justice system. Under Blanchard's instruction, her boyfriend traveled to Missouri to commit murder. It's unfair that while she can re-enter the world and start a new life, Godejohn is languishing behind bars. Taking another life can never be justified, no matter the circumstances or motive.