For most of her life, Gypsy Rose Blanchard was known as a severely ill, wheelchair-dependent young woman whose devoted mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, cared for her around the clock.

Then Dee Dee was found stabbed to death inside their Springfield, Missouri home—and Gypsy was discovered more than 500 miles away, walking beside her secret boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn.

In this episode, we go back to the beginning of the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case: the illnesses Dee Dee claimed her daughter had, the unnecessary medical treatments and procedures, the doctors who questioned the story, Gypsy’s secret attempts at independence, her online relationship with Nicholas Godejohn, and the months of planning that ended with Dee Dee’s murder in June 2015.

We also dig into what happened after the arrest—including Gypsy’s interrogation, the medical records that changed her criminal case, her 10-year sentence, Nicholas Godejohn’s autism and diminished-capacity defense, his life-without-parole sentence, and the uncomfortable question the case still leaves behind:

If Gypsy’s history of abuse changed how we judge her responsibility for the murder, how much should Nick’s vulnerabilities have changed how we judged his?

This is the complicated true story behind Gypsy Rose Blanchard, Dee Dee Blanchard, Nicholas Godejohn, Munchausen syndrome by proxy—now generally called factitious disorder imposed on another—and one of the most debated murder cases of the last decade.
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About the show

Kat Has Questions is a curiosity-driven podcast about real stories that sound unreal — from unsolved crimes and strange history to the quietly weird corners of human behavior.

New episodes every week.

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Sources & Further Reading

Greene County Prosecuting Attorney, Dan Patterson. “Daughter and Paramour Charged in Murder of Mother.” News Release, Felony Complaint and Probable Cause Statement. June 16, 2015.

Greene County Prosecuting Attorney, Dan Patterson. “Gypsy Blanchard Pleads Guilty to Murder of Her Mother.” News Release. July 5, 2016.

Dean, Michelle. “Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter to Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom Murdered.” BuzzFeed News. August 19, 2016.

Smith, Jenner; Diaz, Joseph; and Valiente, Alexa. “How a Young Woman Forced to Use a Wheelchair, Treated for Several Illnesses Ended Up in Prison for Her Mother’s Murder.” ABC News / 20/20. January 4, 2018.

Missourinet. “Gypsy Blanchard Testifies, Both Sides Try to Establish Killer’s Mental Capacity in Godejohn Murder Trial.” November 16, 2018.

KY3. “Judge Sentences Nicholas Godejohn to Prison for Death of Dee Dee Blanchard.” February 22, 2019.

KY3. “Timeline: Gypsy Blanchard Released From Prison This Week. Here’s What Led Up to This Moment.” December 24, 2023.

Hollingsworth, Heather. “Gypsy Rose Blanchard Out of Prison Years After Persuading Boyfriend to Kill Her Abusive Mother.” Associated Press. December 28, 2023.

Biography.com Editors. “Gypsy-Rose Blanchard: Biography, Former Convict, Mother Dee Dee.” Biography. Updated 2024–2026.

People Staff. “Gypsy-Rose Blanchard Says ‘a Whole New World Is About to Open Up’ as She Counts Down End of Parole Over Mom’s Murder.” People. 2025.

People Staff. “Where Is Gypsy Rose Blanchard Now? All About Her Life After Prison.” People. 2026.

People Staff. “Gypsy-Rose Blanchard Shares Why It Was ‘Healing’ to Hear Daughter Aurora Call Her ‘Mommy’ for the First Time.” People. August 2026.

🎵 Music: “Scrunchy” by Night Drift

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