How old was Gypsy Rose Blanchard when she went to jail?

Since her mother’s murder, Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s tragic story inspired movies, documentaries, and a critically acclaimed limited series on Hulu starring Joey King. Today, she’s a household name, yet the public still views her as a child. 

When was Gypsy Rose Blanchard arrested?

Police arrested Gypsy in 2015 at her boyfriend’s family home in Wisconsin. They were both arrested for the murder of Gypsy’s mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, who’d been stabbed 17 times in the back. Due to her mother’s abuse and her naturally small stature, Gypsy looked like a child. However, she was already a grown woman by the time she was put behind bars. 

Born in July 1991, Gypsy was 24 years old by the time she took a plea deal in July 2015 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for second-degree murder.

Gypsy was a victim of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome

During the trial, it became clear that Gypsy was severely abused by her mother and was a victim of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome. Dee Dee told people that her daughter had various chronic conditions, including leukemia, asthma, and muscular dystrophy. She also claimed Gypsy had the mental capacity of a 7-year-old due to brain damage experienced during childbirth, and frequently took her daughter to the hospital.

When she got older, Dee Dee forced Gypsy to lie about her age, and to use a wheelchair anytime they were in public. They moved frequently to avoid suspicion, and took advantage of various community programs and organizations to receive free medical assistance and monetary donations. Dee Dee also managed to secure a free house from Habitat for Humanity, free trips to Disney World, and backstage passes at several Miranda Lambert concerts through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

Gypsy plotted her mother’s murder with her boyfriend

The abuse Gypsy experienced extended far past the lies about her health, though. As reported by Cafe Mom, Gypsy shared Dee Dee’s reaction after she tried to run away in a recent HBO documentary.

“She physically chained me to the bed, and put bells on the doors, and told anybody that I probably would have trusted that I was going through a phase, and to tell her if I was doing anything behind her back.”

As a teenager, Gypsy’s only outlet was the internet, through which she eventually met her boyfriend. Gypsy met Nicholas Godejohn on a Christian dating site, and opened up to him about her mother’s abuse. After a failed attempt to introduce Dee Dee to Godejohn at a movie theater in hopes that she’d allow them to spend time together, they plotted her murder.

Gypsy will receive early release from prison

In exchange for her plea deal, Gypsy received a 10-year prison sentence, which will now be cut short. According to Ozarks First, the now-32-year-old has been granted parole, and is expected to be released early from the Missouri Department of Corrections on December 28. Godejohn, on the other hand, remains in prison, serving a life sentence.