Gypsy Rose Blanchard is officially out of prison. She was released from the Chillicothe Correctional Center at 3:30 a.m. local time, according to the Missouri Department of Corrections, ABC reported. The 32-year-old Missouri woman had served 7 years for the murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard.
Gypsy Rose was arrested in 2015, along with her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn, after her mother was found stabbed to death in her home. Gypsy Rose eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Back in September, the Springfield News-Leader reported that Gypsy Rose had been granted parole and would be released in December.
“Nobody will ever hear me say I’m glad she’s dead or I’m proud of what I did. I regret it every single day,” Gypsy Rose told PEOPLE ahead of her release.
Gypsy Rose has alleged that her mom abused her for years. Gypsy Rose spent her younger years believing she was seriously ill and suffered from leukemia, muscular dystrophy, seizures, and more. She also used a wheelchair and a feeding tube.
It is widely believed that Gypsy Rose was a victim of Munchausen by proxy syndrome, a rare disorder where someone, usually a guardian, fabricates or exaggerates signs or symptoms of a disease. Dee Dee had fabricated her daughter’s medical issues and lied about Gypsy Rose’s age.
Interest in the case sparked after the release of the 2017 documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest. Hulu released the limited series The Act starring Patricia Arquette and Joey King as Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Gypsy Rose will tell her story in the upcoming Lifetime docuseries The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, which premieres on January 5.
Leading up to her release, Gypsy Rose opened up about how she was looking forward to starting a new chapter in her life. The 32-year-old married Ryan Scott Anderson in 2022. “I’m ready for freedom,” Gypsy told PEOPLE. “I’m ready to expand and I think that goes for every facet of my life.”
In other news – House where 4 college students were killed demolished
More than a year after four University of Idaho students were killed, the house where the quadruple homicide took place has been taken down. The home was fully demolished on Dec. 28 after about three hours of work, according to the Associated Press.
“It’s incredibly powerful and emotional to see it come down,” University Spokesperson Jodi Walker said, per the AP. “We’ve turned into that next chapter, whatever that next chapter is, and that definitely is a bit of a relief.” Read More