Gypsy Rose Blanchard is set to be released from prison early after spending time behind bars for her role in the murder of her mother in 2015.
However, many people believe she should never have been jailed in the first place.
The Missouri Department of Corrections announced the news about Blanchard's early release on Thursday (28 September), eight years after her mother, Clauddine 'Dee Dee' Blanchard, was found dead in the bedroom of her house just outside Springfield, Missouri.
Blanchard and her boyfriend, Nick Godejohn, were both charged with first-degree murder in 2015. Blanchard pleaded guilty to murder for her role in her mother's death the following year.
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After Blanchard and Godejohn were arrested, it emerged that Dee Dee had fabricated medical issues for her daughter, and that Blanchard was a victim of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome; a form of abuse in which a guardian exaggerates or induces illness in a child.
Dee Dee convinced the community that Blanchard was terminally ill, and had the mind of a seven-year-old.
Blanchard, who is now 32, claimed that her mother wouldn't allow her to speak during visits to the doctor, and told her police wouldn't believe her if she ever tried to tell them the truth.
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During her ordeal, Blanchard met Godejohn online and 'talked him into' travelling from Wisconsin to see her in Missouri.
In a prison interview for the 2019 Oxygen special, Gypsy Rose & Nick: A Love to Kill, Godejohn said: “From the very beginning, I just knew we were soulmates.
"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.”
Godejohn is believed to have stabbed Dee Dee while Blanchard waited in the bathroom.
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Blanchard was ultimately sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in the killing, but has been granted parole for an early release.
She is set to be released on 28 December, 2023, after having served 85 percent of her sentence.
Godejohn will remain behind bars after being sentenced to life in prison.
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Following the news of Blanchard's early release, Facebook users have taken to the platform to share their opinions, many expressing that she never should have been jailed for her mother's murder.
One person wrote: "She suffered enough trauma from her mother and should never have been sent to prison… she needed help not punishment."
Another commented: "She should have never gone to prison in the first place, a rehabilitation centre however would've done her the world of good, I hope she can now live the life she deserves."
A third simply said: "May she have a happy future and find healing."
Topics: Crime, US News, Gypsy Rose Blanchard
Bec Oakes