Gypsy Rose Blanchard Released From Prison Early
The Facts
Gypsy Rose Blanchard, 32, has been released three years early from her ten-year prison sentence for plotting with her boyfriend to kill her abusive mother, Dee Dee, in Missouri in 2015.
Blanchard, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016, faced a potential life sentence for first-degree murder, but struck a plea deal with prosecutors due to the abuse she had suffered.
The Spin
Narrative A
This early release illustrates that even the court understands Blanchard's unique circumstances. A prison sentence was not what she needed after spending her entire life being exploited by her troubled mother. Support at a psychiatric institution would have been far more appropriate for Blanchard than incarceration, as she will likely struggle to reintegrate into society following her mother's abuse.
Narrative B
No one doubts the severe trauma endured by Gypsy Rose Blanchard, but her role in her mother's death still had to be addressed by law enforcement and the justice system. Under Blanchard's instruction, her boyfriend traveled to Missouri to commit murder. It's unfair that while she can re-enter the world and start a new life, Godejohn is languishing behind bars. Taking another life can never be justified, no matter the circumstances or motive.
