02 January 2024 , 21:12
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Gypsy Rose Blanchard, the Missouri woman who persuaded an online boyfriend to kill her mother in 2015, was released last week, on December 28, from prison on parole. But her ex-boyfriend, who carried out the deadly stabbing, remains in prison serving a life sentence.
At Nicholas Godejohn's trial in 2018, Gypsy Blanchard, now 32, admitted that she had talked him into killing her mother, Clauddine (Dee Dee) Blanchard, who had Munchausen's syndrome by proxy, and had forced her to pretend for years that she was suffering from leukaemia, muscular dystrophy and other serious illnesses.
So who was Nicholas Godejohn and how did he end up tied into the gruesome murder for the sake of his love for Gypsy Rose?
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Nick Godejohn (left) and Gypsy Blanchard (right)Gypsy Rose and Nicholas Godejohn: A "blood bond"
Nicholas Godejohn, from Wisconsin, was 26 when he met Gypsy Rose, then 24, on a Christian dating site. Their relationship was primarily online through messaging and secret until they met up in March 2015. The two were in love, as evidenced by their messages which were unveiled during the trial, and had planned a life together.
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In a 2019 interview from prison, he described his relationship with Gypsy as "the best days of my life." Godejohn mentioned that he believed they were soulmates and expressed a deep connection with her.
On June 14, 2015, Godejohn entered Dee Dee's house and stabbed her to death while Gypsy hid in the bathroom. During the trial in November 2018, Gypsy testified that she came up with the plan to kill her mother as a way to escape her life of abuse.
Nicholas Godejohn described his relationship with Gypsy as 'the best days of my life' (Missouri Department of Corrections)
Gypsy Rose Blanchard while serving her prison sentence (Gypsy Rose Blanchard)Godejohn's attorneys argued that Gypsy manipulated him and should have his charges reduced to second-degree murder. However, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action, receiving a life sentence in prison.
As of today, he is still serving the sentence at the Potosi Correctional Centre in Missouri. In his 2019 interview, he justified the murder by stating that he wanted to ensure Gypsy's mother would not harm her anymore.
After the murder trial, Gypsy and Nicholas Godejohn's relationship deteriorated, and Gypsy got engaged to another man in April 2019. In June 2022, Gypsy Rose Blanchard married her husband Ryan Anderson.
Nicholas Godejohn (Crime+Investigation)Who is Gypsy Rose's husband, Ryan Anderson?
Ryan Anderson, a teacher from Lake Charles, Louisiana, married Gypsy Rose Blanchard while she was serving part of a ten-year sentence for second-degree murder, later reduced to eight years. During Gypsy-Rose's time in prison, Ryan visited her regularly and shared updates on his social media accounts.
They got to know each other after Ryan wrote to Gypsy Rose in 2020 during the pandemic, following a colleague's suggestion. They initially exchanged emails, and their communication evolved into regular phone calls.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard in courtRyan Anderson and Gypsy-Rose met in person a year after their initial contact, as the COVID-19 pandemic had imposed restrictions on prison visits. On July 21, 2022, they wed in an intimate prison ceremony with no guests present.
They plan to have a larger celebration and redo the ceremony now that Gypsy Rose has regained her freedom, with hopes of starting a family together. Gypsy Rose has described Ryan as patient and supportive, allowing her to speak openly about her feelings.
Ryan Anderson's Instagram account, @ryan_s_anderson_, is followed by Gypsy-Rose's account. In his Instagram bio, he describes himself as being from Louisiana and mentions being married to Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, referring to her as "the most wonderful, most beautiful woman in the world."
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