Following the release of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, questions have been raised about what became of her ex-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn.
Born in 1991, Gypsy Rose's formative years were overshadowed by a complex tapestry of lies meticulously woven by her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard.
Dee Dee fabricated various illnesses on her daughter's behalf, revealing a disturbing manifestation of Munchausen syndrome by proxy - a rare disorder where caregivers induce or exaggerate illnesses in those under their care, often seeking attention and sympathy.
What followed was years of abuse where Gypsy underwent various medical procedures after her mother tricked doctors into believing she had diseases such as leukemia and muscular dystrophy.
Under Dee Dee's control, Gypsy enlisted the help of Nicholas Godejohn, whom she met on a Christian dating website, to carry out her mother's murder.
In June 2015, Godejohn carried out the gruesome act, stabbing Dee Dee to death while Gypsy waited in the bathroom with her ears covered.
Their escape to Godejohn's Wisconsin home 600 miles away was short-lived, as they were eventually apprehended by the police. Gypsy's incriminating messages on the Facebook account she shared with her mother served as key evidence, confessing to the murder.
In 2018, Gypsy revealed in court that - two weeks prior to her mother's murder - doubts crept in, but after an argument, she made the fateful decision that Dee Dee had to die. Gypsy admitted to persuading Godejohn to travel to Missouri from Wisconsin to carry out the murder, stating in court: "I did, I talked him into it," per People.
Godejohn, who had no history of violence before the murder, expressed remorse in an ABC 20/20 interview, stating: “I felt horrible about it… I did what I did because I loved her. I really wanted a life with her, I really did.”
In July 2016, Gypsy pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, receiving a 10-year prison sentence. Godejohn's trial in November 2018 saw Gypsy testifying that she devised the plan to escape her life of abuse, leading to Dee Dee's murder.
Godejohn's defense argued that he was manipulated by Gypsy, but he was nonetheless found guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action, receiving a life sentence without parole plus an additional 25 years.
At a sentencing hearing in 2019, he said: "I was blindly in love. That was always very much the case,” per The Springfield News-Leader.
The relationship between Gypsy and Godejohn broke down soon after they were sentenced, and Gypsy was engaged to another man in 2019.
Godejohn has since taken part in interviews, where he described his relationship with Gypsy as "the best days of my life."
"From the very beginning, I just knew we were soulmates," he continued. "Those five days when I was actually with her, physically with her, those five days were the most intense, and magical, and awe-inspiring days I’ve ever had."
Doubling down that he felt like murdering Dee Dee was the only way for him to be with Gypsy, Godejohn said: "Somehow I just knew, deep within my heart, some way me and her would end up being together in the end. There’s no other option, we gotta do it. I wanted to make sure her mom was not going to harm her anymore. I made sure of that."
On the contrary, Gypsy Rose painted a very different picture of Godejohn in her interview with Dr. Phil in 2017.
Gypsy Rose claimed that Godejohn would often refer to himself as "Victor the Vampire" - one of his many personalities.
Recounting one chilling conversation with Godejohn, Gypsy Rose said: "'Victor' said that he had conditions. One condition would be that [the murder] would be with a knife. The other condition is that he would have to rape [Dee Dee] after he murdered her."
Gypsy Rose vehemently rejected the second condition, saying: "Absolutely not, I am not okay with that." However, Godejohn persisted, telling her: "It's either 'Victor's' way or the highway," and threatened to rape her if she did not agree to his terms.
Feeling trapped and desperate to escape her mother's abuse, Gypsy reluctantly agreed to the disturbing condition, hoping it would satisfy Godejohn enough to carry out the killing.
In 2022 Godejohn returned to court asking for a retrial, which was denied.
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