How 'Munchausen's By Proxy' Drove Gypsy Rose Blanchard To Murder

The murder of Dee Dee Blanchard is a haunting reminder of the realities of Munchausen's disorder by proxy.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | February 05, 2024

Gypsy Rose Blanchard's release from Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri last week has sparked vast renewed interest in her case—a profoundly sad story filled with dark twists and turns—as well as the disturbing condition, Munchausen by proxy, at its center.

Upon her request on June 14, 2015, Gypsy Rose's then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, stabbed her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, to death. She received parole in September of 2023, and was ultimately set free after serving 85% of her 10-year sentence for second degree murder.

The murder of Dee Dee Blanchard is a case that is often referred to as "unprecedented," with layers of abuse and trauma as well as years of lies and deceit. Research shows how Dee Dee's tragic and avoidable death can be dissected and understood as well as the psychological warfare that led to it.

What Led Gypsy Rose Blanchard To Matricide?

Gypsy and Dee Dee Blanchard were loved, revered and cared for by their community. To the public eye, the Blanchards were a regular family that faced immense hardship, as Gypsy Rose suffered from a plethora of physical and mental disabilities.

According to a psychological and medical report of the case, Dee Dee reported that Gypsy Rose had suffered from:

• Leukemia
• Asthma
• Epilepsy
• Muscular dystrophy
• Brain damage due to premature birth
• Sleep apnea
• Hearing and vision impairment

The combination of these illnesses led to Gypsy Rose living an incredibly difficult life. Her muscular dystrophy left her indefinitely bound to a wheelchair. Her brain damage left her with the mental capacity of a 7-year-old. The remaining illnesses required constant, large amounts of medication, surgery and treatment. Her requirement for around-the-clock care led to various forms of charity and philanthropy dedicated to Gypsy's cause, aiding Dee Dee in caring for her.

After Dee Dee's murder in 2015, 23-year old Gypsy Rose was declared missing from her Missouri home, and the world was left shocked as to why such a dedicated and caring mother would be killed. It came as an even more monumental surprise when Gypsy Rose walked into court in handcuffs, being charged with the murder of her own mother.

The murder trial revealed that Gypsy Rose never actually suffered from any of the illnesses that Dee Dee claimed she had, and she had gone through over 20 years of unnecessary medical treatment, had many unneeded surgeries and had taken many redundant medications. The slow realization of these factors led Gypsy Rose to fight against her mother's wishes.

She longed for a normal and healthy life, for love and for freedom, but her mother did not allow her these rights and physically abused her when she expressed such desires or went against her will. She continued to misrepresent Gypsy Rose's health while forcing her to do the same. Behind her mother's back, Gypsy Rose entered an online relationship with Nicholas Godejohn. She begged him to save her from her situation, and he ultimately killed Dee Dee upon her request. Although Gypsy Rose has just been released, Godejohn is still serving life in prison.

What Was Wrong With Dee Dee Blanchard?

It eventually came to light that Dee Dee suffered from "factitious disorder imposed on another," formerly yet more commonly known as "Munchausen syndrome by proxy." According to a study from the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, Munchausen by proxy refers to willfully committing abuse by intentionally and deceitfully feigning the physical, psychiatric or developmental disorder of another.

The researchers outline that this is often achieved by exaggerating, simulating, fabricating or even intentionally inducing physical or psychiatric illness. Munchausen by proxy, in the author's words, is often characterized by "a persistent and repetitive drive to place the victim in the sick role in order to satisfy a psychological need of the abuser, such as attention or to appear as a caring and competent parent."

In Dee Dee's case, Gypsy Rose was entirely healthy. However, due to inexplicable and untreated psychological factors, Dee Dee would repeatedly lie to medical practitioners regarding the state of her daughter's health. She would report symptoms and illnesses that Gypsy Rose never experienced and forced her daughter to undergo relentless, invasive surgeries and treatments for no reason at all—making her look and feel more sickly than she was—to satisfy her dysfunctional desires.

Being the victim of a parent with Munchausen by proxy can be incredibly traumatic, as their lives are filled with medical abuse from a young age. For Gypsy Rose—who was forced to use a wheelchair, have her salivary glands surgically removed, take medication that made her severely ill and renounce eating orally in favor of a feeding tube—her trauma ultimately became too large a burden to carry, leading her to believe that extreme measures were the only way she could free herself from the abuse.

Dee Dee's murder was entirely preventable by an early diagnosis, making it all the more tragic. Although one physician noted that Dee Dee "wasn't a good historian" and suspected she suffered from Munchausen by proxy, Dee Dee promptly changed doctors when she was met with probing questions about her daughter's conditions.

She also successfully duped new doctors by claiming that Gypsy Rose's medical history was lost, and her vast medical vocabulary gave her an air of credibility. Then there's the ethical dilemma medical practitioners faced in accusing Dee Dee of suffering from Munchausen by proxy—especially when the family was supported and embraced by the community. All these factors partially explain how many medical practitioners that the Blanchards dealt with were unable (or unwilling) to identify and recognize the deceit, allowing it to persist for over two decades.

After serving her time in prison, Gypsy Rose reports she deeply regrets the actions she took: "She was a sick woman, and unfortunately, I wasn't educated enough to see that. She deserved to be where I am, sitting in prison doing time for criminal behavior." Gypsy Rose's story underscores the crucial role that knowledge and awareness play in safeguarding vulnerable individuals from the effects of Munchausen by proxy.

Conclusion

Gypsy Rose and Dee Dee Blanchard's tragic case serves as a chilling reminder of the devastating impact of Munchausen by proxy. The manipulation, abuse and deception she endured at the hands of her own mother highlight the need for increased awareness and education surrounding this form of abuse. By understanding the mechanism of the disorder, healthcare professionals, law enforcement and the public can work collaboratively to identify and intervene in such cases, potentially saving lives and preventing further suffering.

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here.