Murder of Dee Dee Blanchard

Murder of Dee Dee Blanchard
Blanchard, c. 2010
DateJune 10, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-06-10) (murder)[1]
June 14, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-06-14) (body discovered)
LocationSpringfield, Missouri, U.S.
Coordinates37°16′00″N 93°19′06″W / 37.2668°N 93.3182°W / 37.2668; -93.3182
TypeMurder by stabbing, matricide
Motive
Deaths1
Non-fatal injuries1 (alleged)[a]
ConvictedNicholas Godejohn and Gypsy-Rose Blanchard
VerdictGypsy-Rose Blanchard:
Pleaded guilty
Nicholas Godejohn:
Guilty on both counts
ConvictionsGypsy-Rose Blanchard:
Second-degree murder
Nicholas Godejohn:
First-degree murder, armed criminal action
SentenceGypsy-Rose Blanchard:
Ten years in prison; paroled after eight 1/2 years[4][5]
Nicholas Godejohn:
Life imprisonment without possibility of parole plus 25 years

Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard (née Pitre; born May 3, 1967, in Chackbay, Louisiana, United States) was a 48-year-old woman who was found stabbed to death in her Springfield, Missouri, house in June 2015.[6] She was murdered by Nicholas Godejohn. The murder was planned by her daughter, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard.[7]

Police discovered the body of Dee Dee five days after the murder, upon residents seeing alarming Facebook posts written by Gypsy-Rose Blanchard the day prior. Hours later, both Gypsy-Rose and Nicholas Godejohn were arrested in Godejohn's native Big Bend, Wisconsin, and both confessed to the murder. The media revealed that Dee Dee had forced Gypsy-Rose Blanchard to pretend to have severe physical and mental disabilities for financial and social advantage, a condition known as factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA).[8]

Shortly before trial in 2018, Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to ten years. After a brief trial in November 2018, Godejohn, who had committed the attack on Dee Dee, was convicted of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.[9] Blanchard was paroled at the end of 2023.[10] The case has been the subject of several films and television series.

  1. ^ "A Timeline of Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Murder Case and Release from Prison". January 2, 2024. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference people was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference variety was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Gypsy Rose Blanchard released early from US prison". December 28, 2023. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  5. ^ Barcella, Laura (May 15, 2017). "'Mommy Dead and Dearest' Doc on Gypsy Blanchard: What We Learned". Rolling Stone. New York City: Wenner Media LLC. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  6. ^ Keegan, Harrison (May 10, 2017). "Gypsy Blanchard: Everything you need to know about the case". Springfield News-Leader. Springfield, Missouri: Gannett Company. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  7. ^ "A Timeline of Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Murder Case and Release from Prison". January 2, 2024. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  8. ^ Dean, Michelle (August 18, 2016). "Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom To Be Murdered". BuzzFeed News. New York City: BuzzFeed Entertainment Group. Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  9. ^ Keegan, Harrison (November 16, 2018). "Nicholas Godejohn found guilty in Blanchard murder". Springfield News-Leader. Springfield, Missouri: Gannett Company. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  10. ^ "Gypsy Rose Blanchard will be released from prison on parole this December". Springfield News-Leader. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.


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