On Dec. 28, 2023, Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released from prison after being given a sentence of 10 years as a result of pleading guilty for the murder of her mother, Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, according to people.com.

Gypsy Blanchard was a victim of Munchausen by proxy, which is a form of abuse in which a guardian may seek attention by making their child ill or exaggerating their illness if there is one, according to medlineplus.gov.

While growing up, Gypsy Blanchard’s mother controlled her life in many aspects, such as lying about her age, putting her through intense medical treatments that she never needed and even having a feeding tube surgically implanted into her body. These procedures manipulated the public into thinking there was something seriously wrong and many donated money to help the Blanchards, according to people.com.

During her childhood, Gypsy Blanchard got curious about finding a boyfriend. With that curiosity, she stole her mom’s computer and searched for a dating website to eventually find someone that she could potentially love. By doing this, she found her former lover, Nicholas Godejohn. They would text and video chat with one another frequently, which allowed them to learn more about each other, according to biography.com.

Gypsy Blanchard then discovered Godejohn’s alter ego named “Victor,” who represented his evil side and was described as a vampire. Godejohn’s evil side did not like Claudine Blanchard, so much so that he persuaded young Gypsy Blanchard to supply him with materials to murder her mother, according to newsnation.com.

“I honestly thought he would end up not doing it,” Gypsy Blanchard said to 20/20, according to harpersbazaar.com.

After the murder, the police were able to trace the address from Gypsy Blanchard’s Facebook to Big Bend, Wis., where she and Godejohn were staying. The police proceeded to raid their home and arrested both of them. Gypsy Blanchard was charged with second-degree murder and Godejohn with first-degree murder and felony armed criminal action, according to people.com.

Gypsy Blanchard pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. After the event calmed down a bit, around eight years later, she was set free on Dec. 28, 2023 due to good behavior. She served 85% of her sentence in Greene County Jail before the Missouri Department of Corrections reduced her overall sentence, according to people.com.

“I am not proud of what I did.” Gypsy said in an interview, according to people.com, “I regret it every single day.”