tonight, the mother who faked her daughter's illnesses, put her daughter in a wheelchair. the daughter convicted of murdering her mom. >> linsey: what that daughter, gypsy rose, told me in her very first sit-down interview after prison. "20/20" starts right now. >> happy endings are not just in fairytales. >> you're the reason i was born to be a mom. >> i want to escape.

>> linsey: many people can't understand why you didn't just get up and walk out of that wheelchair. you weren't sick. why didn't you just do that? >> this case went from, where is sweet little gypsy rose, to find out, hey, gypsy can walk, hey, her boyfriend is there, and everything started unraveling. >> a desperate search right now for a mother a daughter -- >> bebe's in bed but stabbed multiple times. we couldn't put it together why someone would kill deedee and take a handicapped child. >> the girl looked 12, sounded 5, and had a 20-year-old attitude. >> we started hearing that she was actually involved in this somehow. >> do you know what happened? you were there, okay? >> wait, no -- >> yes, yes, you were, you were

there. >> she wasn't sick. she never was. >> there were the feeding tubes, the scars, countless prescriptions. all of it was, like, a lie. >> wow. wow. >> a lot of people are looking forward to hearing you speak. >> i know. ♪ >> the daughter abused by her own mother, tonight, jip see rose blanchard is out of prison. >> gypsy rose blanchard shared this photo, "first selfie of freedom. >> gypsy rose blanchard's story is a true crime none none. murder, deception, romance. now the woman behind the headlines is out of prison and grabbing attention in a new way. >> hey, everyone, this is gypsy. i'm finally free. >> nearly 20 million vollers followers and counting on social media.

paparazzi following her every move. >> do you have any plans? >> lots of them! >> major magazine covers and all kinds of tv appearances, gypsy has agreed to sit down with me for her first tv interview just days after her release. >> what do you want people to know most about the gypsy who's sitting here right now? >> i think, don't judge me because you haven't walked a mile in my shoes. >> linsey: before so many became captivated by gypsy, this strange and twisted story had a different kind of obsession. >> so where are you going today? >> i'm going to children's mercy hospital to see my dentist for my teeth. >> she was, like, one of the happiest people i had ever met, and yet she was the most sick that i had ever met at the same time.

>> gypsy and her multiple illnesses and diseases. she had muscular dystrophy, leukemia, she had learning disabilities, had not been able to be out of a wheelchair. >> are we still on? >> i think everybody felt so much for gypsy, this poor girl who has so many things wrong with her, and this wonderful mother who does everything for gypsy. >> dee dee was a very protective, but like, kind and gentle mother. you could tell that they were there for each other, and like, they were very attached at the hip. >> linsey: deedee is a local pageant queen from lafourche parish in louisiana. >> rotc military queen, miss clauddine pitre. >> linsey: she worked as a

nurse's aide. at age 23, she met 17-year-old rod blanchard. >> she was real nice, southern, she knew how to cook. she seemed like a really nice, you know, sweet, genuine young lady. >> just three months into their relationship, dee dee discovers she's pregnant. >> parents raised me that's the right thing to do, so i didn't even question. i just said, "wow, you're pregnant, really? i guess we're gonna get married, you know?" >> linsey: the newlyweds soon welcomed a baby girl. >> perfectly healthy pretty little baby. named her gypsy rose. i was excited and very scared. i'm not going to lie. i was scared. i'm 18 years old and i got a baby here, so -- >> i see you. you want to blow me a kiss? >> nothing wrong with her. looked perfect. >> go bring me a flower. she's gon' bring mama a flower. >> hey gypsy! >> linsey: rod and deedee eventually split up. she takes primary custody of gypsy, and rod soon remarries a

woman named kristy. >> so it took her a little while to warm back up to rod. finally got to go visit and everything with them and it not be odd. >> i think we had some good visits, some good times. ♪ let's go do the hop ♪ ♪ oh baby let's go do the hop ♪ >> gypsy was probably 7, 8 years old. dee dee was saying that she was sick, problems sleeping -- epilepsy, and it just progressed from there. leukemia, paralyzed, muscular dystrophy, and she would have seizures. she's in a wheelchair now. she needs a feeding tube. i told dee dee she was the best mother. there's no way i can do what she doing. you have a sick child, it's constantly 24/7 taking care of her and everything. i mean, i always praised her and told her, "good job."

>> linsey: in 2005, gypsy and dee dee were dealt another cruel blow. >> katrina came and wiped them out. it wiped out so many people out. >> emergency authorities are now driving through the city, where they're picking up families in boats. >> i had her on the screen on tv you know, looking for 'em, you know, trying to find them. 'cause we didn't know where they were. >> when the hurricane occurred, they went to a special needs shelter in northern new orleans and remained there, and that's where the mercy hospital folks here in springfield that ultimately flew them up here after the hurricane. >> i'm the greene county sheriff in the city of springfield. this is known at the bible belt, and we have lots of churches. this town is a very giving town. here you have a mother and a

disabled child in a wheelchair that can't walk, with no means of paying for anything. so this community does what it does best and provided everything that they could think of. >> linsey: after they relocate to springfield, dee dee and gypsy strike up an instant bond with hospital employees marsha smith and lora nixdorf. >> this one says "happy mother's day, nona. we love you so much." she called me nona, which is grandmother in italian, and i felt like i was her grandmother. >> eventually dee dee and gypsy find a place to call home. it's at the intersection of hope road and volunteer way. >> the blanchards moved into that house, built by habitat for humanity. a wheelchair ramp was built just for her. >> it is the perfect town, the perfect place. >> i think it was -- it was a blessing in disguise. it took something like a hurricane to make us have a happy ending.

>> they were just really nice, great people and everybody just was really excited to be around them. >> the community really embraced them, got them a house, and it wasn't just a house. there were trips, there were disney trips. >> make a wish were taking her down to orlando, all expenses paid and everything. >> right now, i'm in cinderella's castle eating some royal mashed potatoes. >> linsey: in between hospital visits, gypsy is hitting the charity circuit, and she's rubbing elbows with all kinds of celebrities. >> miranda lambert came to springfield a few times, and i think she gave dee dee and gypsy money. >> there were fundraisers, they were brought in to speak and for gypsy to sing at relay for life. ♪ i believe there are angels among us ♪ >> you're the reason i was born

to be a mama. >> they were local darlings. i mean, they were the shining star in this town of people who can outlast adversity and get through everything. >> linsey: deedee and gypsy rebuild their lives and find a community in springfield. but everything is about to change. and it all begins with one shocking facebook post. >> it said, "the bitch is dead." >> what is going on? >>it starts out as a strange facebook message. and just when you thought you could figure out what was happening, something else comes to light. i told myself i was ok with my moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. with my psoriatic arthritis symptoms.

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♪ dee dee and gypsy, they were known in this community. every time you saw them, it was just the two of them, and you felt for them. >> it just proves that happy endings are not just in fairytales. they're real and true in real life also. >> on their shared facebook page, the two keep family and friends updated on everything

from scheduled surgeries for gypsy to the local science fiction convention. >> gypsy just tried to enjoy life as much as she could. and she enjoyed disney, you know, she enjoyed dressing up. and she just had fun. >> yo, wassup? >> so on june 14th, 2015, people are stunned when a post pops up on the duo's facebook page. >> it said, "the bitch is dead." >> i instantly took it as their facebook account had gotten hacked. >> then we saw the second one, which said, "and i raped her sweet daughter, too." >> so, we hopped in our vehicle, and we drove over here. we pulled in, and we realized that their vehicle was still here. we circled the house, knocked on all the doors and windows. >> i called the police and let them know that we needed a wellness check done on a

disabled mother and daughter, and they said that they would send somebody out. >> david notices the kitchen window is open and decides to crawl into the house. >> it was extremely dark inside, there were no lights on. it was very cold. in the living room, gypsy's electronic wheelchair was still in there along with the push wheelchair. i noticed that there was a wheelchair in the bathroom. i made it to gypsy's room, and everything looked perfectly fine. >> we had never seen gypsy not in a wheelchair. so, the fact that they were not home, and the three wheelchairs were still there, was completely wrong to me. that was my panic moment. >> i turned around to look in dee dee's room, and it was extremely dark in there, and i definitely had a feeling of, "don't go in here. there's no need to go in here."

>> a desperate search right now for a mother and daughter who vanished from their home. 48-year-old dee dee and 19-year-old gypsy blanchard both have medical issues, and neither has been seen since last week. >> later that evening, law enforcement get a search warrant and enter dee dee's bedroom. >> dee dee's in bed. it was absolutely a brutal death -- 14 stab wounds to the back. that's usually a crime of passion, so we knew there was some connection, but we had no idea what it is. >> obviously our primary concern at that point was, where was the daughter? you know, where was gypsy at? >> so now what started off as an endangered persons advisory has turned into a homicide investigation. >> at the time, they were local celebrities, so we went out there. rain was coming down really heavy that night. and i was one of the first reporters out there. >> this is the house where clauddine blanchard was found stabbed to death.

>> the crime tape was up around the house. you just can't forget that pink house with the wheelchair ramp. >> i see a stretcher come out of the house, and there's a sheet over a body, and i just start sobbing. that was dee dee. >> so then we really panicked, because oh my gosh, somebody has kidnapped gypsy. >> linsey: news of the tragedy spreads throughout springfield and soon makes its way to louisiana. >> you know, i was shocked. i was like, "what, really?" i couldn't understand it. i called kristy. i was crying to kristy. you know, we just couldn't put it together, why somebody would kill dee dee and take a handicapped child. >> why would somebody do this to this child? no wheelchair, no medication, they gonna just leave her for dead. >> i brought deputies out on horseback. we started combing the area. we had citizen volunteers help. everybody was looking for

gypsy rose and wanted her to be home safe. so the whole community was panicked. what if this is not a single incident? what if we have a killer out roaming in our community? if they will kill this lovely woman and abduct her handicapped child, what are they capable of? >> well, the prevailing rumor was that gypsy was dead, that they were going to find her body somewhere, just as they had found the mom. so it wasn't looking good at that time. >> we had gotten information that a friend of hers, that gypsy would talk to quite a bit, they would communicate back and forth. she had some information that she wanted to share with us that might help. so i responded to her house. >> and so, he got there and he started taking photos of my phone, um, and the messages. >> linsey: gypsy's friend aleah reveals to lieutenant hancock that unbeknownst to dee dee, gypsy has been living a secret life online and exchanging messages with a number of men. >> she had mentioned that there

was a male that gypsy had talked about and was considering possibly marrying, and his name was nicholas godejohn. >> linsey: nick godejohn is a 26-year-old self-described loner who, like gypsy, found connection on the internet. >> they had met on a christian dating site, and they were going to have a wedding in the snow in a gazebo, just like a whole fairytale wedding sort of thing, and that they were already planning on naming their children after him. >> the first thing that we learned about nick godejohn was his criminal history, fairly quickly, that he was caught masturbating in a mcdonald's. once we started peeling back his background and his history, looking at some of his communication, he was very dark. very dark. >> linsey: but investigators are about to uncover something even more sinister -- the source of that facebook post. >> it was such a shock that that

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ramp outside. >> missouri mom dee dee blanchard has been found stabbed to death, and her daughter gypsy rose is still missing, without her wheelchair or her medication, and many are fearing the worst. >> as the sheriff, my top priority was to solve it as quick as possible, and we probably had 15 investigators working on different things, pulling everything together. >> june 14th, 21:00 hours, a search warrant was sought and obtained for facebook, dee dee gypsy blanchard. >> based off of the facebook posts, we went and obtained an ip address and obtained an actual address. >> linsey: law enforcement are able to trace the ip address of those facebook posts to a house 600 miles away in big bend, wisconsin. it's the home of gypsy's online boyfriend, nick godejohn. >> it was such a shock that that message came from there.

now we're waiting to see what happens next. the deputies from waukesha county, wisconsin, set up surveillance on the house. >> it was a major s.w.a.t. team operation, they had all the rifles drawn, they surrounded the house. >> caught someone walking out, detained them, had a search warrant, went in the house, gypsy rose is found alive. >> we have located gypsy in another state, uh, she is okay. we do have another person of interest in custody. >> linsey: investigators have a lot of questions. did gypsy go with nick to wisconsin willingly? and did she know about her mother's murder? >> i received a call from my supervisor letting me know that we need to get on the plane and get to wisconsin. >> probably the most unique thing that came out of this. >> gypsy, is it? gypsy rose?

>> she's walking and we were like, "where is sweet little gypsy rose? well, how good is she walking? she walks quite well." >> linsey: how could a girl who's had so many ailments all of a sudden be up and walking? investigators need to untangle the truth. >> i'm detective hancock from greene county sheriff's office. how are you today? my thought process at that time was, "okay, i'll interview gypsy and i'm going to let the other detective interview nicholas." and your date of birth, gypsy? >> is 7-27-1995. on here, they have '91. >> i wanted to get to the truth of how old she was, because she said she didn't know. >> me and my mother are hurricane katrina survivors, and my birth certificate was washed away in katrina and, unfortunately, they messed up the paperwork. >> i'd been doing this long enough in interviews that i could really pick up on that something just was not right there.

her body language just tells me something's not right. >> i would be, really, 19, but on here it's -- fine. my medicaid -- my medical insurance has 23. >> okay. >> linsey: first, investigators learn gypsy can actually walk, and now her age is even in question. her story gets stranger by the minute. >> i always felt like there was just something that she's hiding, she's not forthcoming and truthful at this point. so, i pressed on. you need to be honest with me, and if you're involved in anything -- >> of course. >> -- that i'm about ready to tell you, then you need to tell me. okay? >> absolutely. >> your mom's dead, okay? now, what i want to ask you -- >> wait, what? what? >> your mom's passed away, okay? she's deceased, all right? now, what i want to ask you, did you have involvement in this? >> no. >> it did not seem genuine to me. >> just a few rooms away, gypsy's boyfriend, nick godejohn, is waiting for

his interview. >> that's who you're talking to. >> hi. >> oh, okay. hello. >> hello. so, you've been here a long time waiting on me to get here? >> oh my gosh, have i ever been. >> i was not in the room, the other detective was. i'm watching it through the camera. >> i guess she's your girlfriend. she's your girlfriend. >> yes, she is. yeah, she is my girlfriend. >> and you love her? >> oh, do i ever. >> he was kind of quiet, reserved a little bit, started talking. >> apparently, from what she told me, her mom kicked her out of her house. >> okay. >> so, she, uh, texted me to pick her up. >> okay. >> and what happened was, i got on the bus about a day later. as soon as i got there, i walked straight to a hotel, and then i let her know that i was at the hotel. >> okay, and then what happened? >> and then, uh, me and her pretty much, uh, stayed inside the hotel for pretty much the entire time. >> linsey: nick tells

investigators that he and gypsy kept a low profile in a springfield motel room. but little does he know the team already tracked their every move. >> oh, we learned all their movements because, you know, they took a greyhound bus, they bought tickets. we know that there was some video at a springfield motel. >> there was surveillance footage of them at the greyhound station getting on the bus, and they were just a normal couple. they had their bags, and they were ready to go. >> nicholas was pretty much himself and walks into the bus station. but she definitely had a wig and kept her face, you know, pretty much covered with the long wig. looked like a couple that was on vacation and now they're leaving town to go back to wherever they live. >> linsey: a local taxi driver remembers the couple very well. >> a young woman walked up and asked, "could you take us to the days inn?" and i said, "of course." she was in a very dark black hoodie, but she had a very odd-looking wig on.

it was an old-looking cher wig, which i found very un-normal. the girl looked 12, sounded 5, and had a 40-year-old attitude. because she was not afraid to tell me off. i just knew there was something wrong. >> linsey: to investigators, nick and gypsy were like hansel and gretel leaving a trail of clues along the way. their story wasn't exactly adding up, and it was becoming clear that they knew what happened at that pink house. >> she was obviously not wanting to say much about it, but i think she was really understanding that this situation is serious. what happened with your mom that night? they want to know why. >> i think i get things very clearly. you think that it's me? why would you think that it's me? >> listen to me. listen to me. >> i have always loved my mom. >> listen to me. >> my mom and i are best friends. >> listen to me. >> we started hearing from various sources that gypsy

wasn't a victim, she wasn't kidnapped, that she was actually involved in this somehow. it was beyond shocking. >> i want you to understand something, don't dig yourself that hole. don't go down that path, okay? >> if anything, i don't tell lies. >> the perfect example of how things on the surface are not what they appear. [deep exhale] [trumpet music plays] 579 breaths to show 'em your stuff.

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we need to get to why this happened to your mom, okay? >> i don't know who did this. >> so here are these investigators from springfield, missouri, who have traveled 600 miles to sit across from gypsy rose blanchard, a missing girl who they initially thought

was abducted from her mother, who was brutally murdered. >> investigators going in and out of the home, like you said, trying to figure out what happened to dee dee blanchard. >> linsey: something about the story gypsy and nick godejohn are telling doesn't seem quite right. >> we were at the waukesha county sheriff's office in big bend, wisconsin. we have a girl here who, in my mind, in my opinion, did not seem genuine to me. >> you do know what happened. you were there, okay? >> wait, no. >> yes, yes, you were. you were there. >> i wasn't there. i told you i got kicked out. >> it was a very theatrical cry. hands to your face. the police obviously already knew what had happened. >> you just don't make it to wisconsin and everything's all good. and she did not know that we tracked the ip address to where she was at. >> he said that he hated my mom

because my mom didn't want us to be together. he said that it's us against the world, and nothing was going to stop us. >> okay, even your mom? so he took care of that, didn't he? >> i don't know what you mean. i don't think he'd ever hurt her. >> as time went on, she did start talking about the crime. >> i'm sorry that i lied to you from the beginning. i'll tell you truth all now. he killed my mom. >> he killed your mom. >> and i know that. um. >> and that's when i realized that she was probably involved in this more than what it appeared. >> linsey: so now finally, gypsy is opening up and, down the hall, her boyfriend, nick godejohn, starts spilling pretty much from the get-go. >> the truth is, okay, i'll

admit it, i did actually stab her mom. i will admit it. >> i know. okay. >> i -- the only reason i did it is 'cause i did it for me and her. that's the real reason why i did it. >> did gypsy know that you were going to kill her mother? >> um, honestly, she asked me to. >> why did she ask you to do that? >> because she felt it was her only way to be with me. >> okay. >> linsey: through nick's confession and the text messages between the couple, investigators are now able to piece together this deadly sequence of events. >> he arrived, greyhound bus. took a cab to the motel, got settled in there. and there was a lot of text messages going back and forth between them. nicholas was dropped off by yellow taxi cab at gypsy's residence and basically saying that he's at the front door. >> like, where'd the knife come

from? did you bring it with you from here? >> no, no. >> okay, did you buy it somewhere? >> she bought it for me. >> who bought it for you? >> uh, gypsy. >> so when you're stabbing dee, where is she at? >> she's on her stomach. she was on the bed. her bed. >> her bed. >> i heard her wake up, kind of moaning. and, um, i heard her scream. >> you heard her moan, then you heard her scream? >> mm-hmm. and -- >> can you describe the scream to me? >> startled. then she kept screaming louder and louder, and then she had said, "gypsy, gypsy." and, um, i think i knew what he was doing. then he opened the door, and he was covered -- his hands had blood on them.

i cleaned things up with wet wipes. he made me grab my bag and a pink suitcase. >> a pink suitcase? >> and he put my clothes in there. we took a cab back to his hotel. >> gypsy then shoots video of them in the hotel room. he's naked in bed, eating a brownie. >> hi, honey! he's eating a brownie! >> the footage showed them in bed, sort of pillow talk, i guess, and really being very flirtatious. it was hours after they had murdered her mother, viciously. >> they went and got a bus ticket to wisconsin and left the area at that point on a greyhound bus.

>> i think that that video is probably one of the biggest red flags that says that, "no, this was not something that just happened to her. she actively participated in it." >> deborah: before they left down on that bus, nick tells investigators they checked off one more thing on their to-do list. >> so, um, what did you do with the knife? >> um, we, uh, wanted to, um, mail it to my house. >> where did you get that stuff at to mail it? >> uh, gypsy had that all set up. >> did you write your address, or did she write your address? >> she wrote it down. i have no -- i have nowhere that good of penmanship. >> i've never heard of somebody thinking the way to get rid of evidence is to put a bloody knife into the mail and mail it to yourself. never.

>> deborah: and remember those violent facebook posts? turns out also the work of gypsy rose. >> who put those posts out there? >> i put it on there because i wanted someone to find my mom. >> what did you type on there? >> "that bitch is dead." >> that bitch is dead? >> i wanted someone to know that something was wrong. >> this is an ongoing investigation, and i want to start off by saying things are not always as they appear. >> when i had the press conferences, a lot of jaws were dropped. >> everybody used the same word, "shocking." >> everyone was outraged. >> you go back to the newsroom, and it's just chaos. okay, this story has completely done a 180. i bet my mouth was -- before my doctor and i chose breztri for my copd, i had bad days, (cough, cough) flare-ups that could permanently damage my lungs. with breztri, things changed for me. breztri gave me better breathing.

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the crime scene tape is up here still for the thirddy in a row -- >> greene county sheriff's deputies were looking for two missing people -- clauddine blanchard, known as dee dee, and her daughter gypsy. >> this house on volunteer way now infamous for that deadly stabbing. >> this is a tragic, tragic event surrounded by mystery and public deception. >> deborah: so here's this sheriff, jim arnott of greene county, missouri, whose got a tough task at hand. he's got to inform his heartsick community that yes, gypsy is alive, but she isn't exactly who they think she is. >> the sheriff walked out and said, "this is a case of nothing is as it seems." >> we also know that she can walk without assistance, or a wheelchair, and she can do that very well. >> and that was where everything just took a completely different turn. >> we have unearthed the appearance of a long financial

fraud scheme along with this tragic event. >> i'm on set, listening to this news conference play out live. my brain was just spinning and saying, "what?" >> and that's why i caution anyone not to put money in their accounts until we kind of figure out the extent of their deception. >> deborah: and investigators now know that part of the deception is that apparently gypsy can walk, and is seemingly healthy. all those make-a-wish trips, inspirational speeches, that custom-built pink "fairytales come true" cottage -- all of it may be based on a lie. many of the charities and the celebrities who donated money and services to gypsy and dee dee say they felt duped, too. >> all the people that really came out to help and give their hard-earned money to this family, to then find out that they were conned. >> the fact that gypsy could walk, the fact that she had a boyfriend, all these things that we didn't know anything, you know, about.

it was just shocking. gypsy couldn't have done this. >> people were saying, "well, maybe she was tricked into doing this." you know, "they fell in love. he wanted to take her away, and the mother wouldn't let her. things got out of hand. they fought. somehow the mother was killed." and then came the live feed from wisconsin. >> state of wisconsin versus gypsy blanchard. >> and she walked into the courtroom without a wheelchair, without any assistance. and the newsroom was silent. i mean, we were stunned. obviously at that point, you realize she wasn't sick. she never was. >> gypsy crying through the proceedings and shocking many of those who knew her, because she was walking and not using a wheelchair. >> all the evidence that i needed to prove that she was sick at the time was there. there were the feeding tubes, the scars, countless prescriptions. how can you have all of this

proof, but yet, all of it was a -- like, a lie, just an act? >> we had seen her on the news. first time i've saw her walk, was on tv. it was like, "what?" i hadn't seen her in 12 years. i was happy she was walking. big red flags, i felt so stupid. if she can walk, what else have we been lied to about? >> hello, you have a call from -- >> gypsy rose. >> -- an inmate at waukesha county jail. >> hey, daddy. >> how you hanging in there? >> i'm trying. i'm really, really trying. >> yeah, i bet. >> it's extremely hard. >> i have a lot of questions, obviously. you know, i'm confused. >> daddy, i understand that we haven't had a chance to get close in a long time, probably my whole life.

i know that on the news they're painting me up to be this horrible person, but you know my heart, daddy. i am truly a good girl, and i would never hurt mama. >> deborah: the recordings with gypsy and nick's family are pretty gut-wrenching. here are these parents trying to sift through these secrets and lies, and also deal with the fact that their children have just been arrested in a grisly murder. >> he and gypsy conspired to kill her mother. um, he stabbed her numerous times in the back while she slept in her bed. >> oh, my god. i mean, just, my son has never done anything violent, so it's like -- >> what do you think about this? >> i don't know. i mean, we always keep a close watch on him because he has autism, you know, asperger's. when he was -- the last doctor i talked to said his mind is probably always going to be 15, 16, right around there.

>> you know, you kind of try to piece it together. how can she have done that? you don't just kill your mom. not over a boyfriend or anything like that. you've got to be pushed to the limit to do something like that. >> this is a prepaid call from -- >> gypsy rose blanchard. >> i was relieved, you know, to hear she was okay. and um, you know, telling me not to believe anything they say on the news, it's not true. >> how can y'all possibly still be so supportive after knowing what y'all found out today? >> baby, because we love you. and it's unconditional love. we love you no matter what, sweetie. >> thank you. >> we will never turn our backs. >> whatever she thought about me, whatever she needs now, i'm going to be there for her. >> deborah: now both gypsy and nick godejohn are facing first degree murder charges, and that means the possibility of life in prison. >> a first-degree murder charge, it's as serious as it gets.

unless i understood how we got to where we were, there was not going to be a way to keep her out of prison for the rest of her life. we were not prepared for the scope of these things that we found. >> just when you thought the dee dee blanchard murder case could not get any stranger. it was like a prize fight where it's just one hit after the other. >> how far does the deception go back? >> and what would drive gypsy to want to plan the murder of her own mother? >> what has happened up till now to make this girl, who supposedly could not even walk, not only walk, but murder her mother? there was something deeper there. >> deborah: your mom has been portrayed as a monster. was she a monster? >> she had a lot of demons herself that she was struggling with. >> when you try to unravel it, it's like an onion, and it just keeps going and going and going -- >> i just knew that was not the end of the case. >> i didn't want her dead. i just wanted out of my situation.

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♪ a marriage. a docuseries. millions of followers on social media. do you feel any conflict with that? you've got fame even though you participated in a murder. >> bizarre story of gypsy and dee dee blanchard. >> she made international headlines after a grisly murder. >> her entire life had been a lie. her mother had made her believe

these things that just were not true. >> i also had more freedom in prison than i ever had with my mother. >> how dee dee was able to doctors -- >> when i opened it, my mouth dropped. i was like, holy [ bleep ]. from the top to the bottom. full of so many medications. >> deborah: gypsy in her own words. her life now. her new husband. a lot of people are expressing suspicion about you. and the secrets she was still keeping. why reveal it now? why didn't you say anything about it then? >> what gypsy did was a crime. we cannot imagine the horrors that she went through. but it was still a crime. >> there's no excuse for committing murder.

gypsy rose blanchard. >> gypsy rose blanchard. >> gypsy rose blanchard is no longer behind bars. >> deborah: she's been out of prison just about a week, and gypsy rose blanchard is in new york city. well, hello. >> hello. >> deborah: hi, gypsy. sitting down for her very first televised interview as a free woman. a lot of people are looking forward to hearing you speak. >> i know. >> deborah: we first met you were incarcerated. tell me how gypsy sitting here is different from that gypsy rose we met all these years ago? >> i'm very different. the two are complete polar opposites. >> deborah: it was 2017. our cameras pull into chillicothe correctional center ready to hear gypsy rose answer all of the questions people have been asking. >> this unfolding story is full of mystery, deception. and raising more questions. >> deborah: at the time of

dee dee's murder, people were stunned by this brutal crime -- a doting mom dedicated to her ailing daughter's care, killed in bed by her daughter's boyfriend? >> and he was covered. his hands had blood on them. >> and then she called out for gypsy, but gypsy didn't do anything. >> deborah: it begs the question, why? why would gypsy pretend she couldn't walk? why would she want her mother dead? >> close friends of the blanchard's feel that gypsy was preyed upon, manipulated. >> deborah: is gypsy a victim, a mastermind, or both? >> best way to describe myself is like an abused dog that was trained to do what she was ordered to do. >> deborah: gypsy says she really had to piece together the mysteries of this childhood that was filled with surgeries and medications. >> i knew that i didn't need the feeding tube. i knew that i could eat, and i knew that i could walk and didn't need the wheelchair. but i did believe my mother when she said that i had leukemia. i was taking lots of medications

that mom said that they were for cancer, and she would shave my hair off and said, "it's going to fall out anyway, so let's keep it nice and neat." >> gypsy believed wholeheartedly what her mother told her, which most children do. she just took what dee dee said as gospel. >> we were best friends. i saw her as an angel that can do no wrong. and just believing that she knows best. um, i didn't question it. >> deborah: but like most teenagers, as she got older, she says she began to push back. >> she wants to get out, ain't gonna happen. >> deborah: gypsy says she wasn't even sure exactly how old she was. >> it was a good span of time between, i want to say 2001 to 2015 that i really wasn't sure of my age. i stopped asking because mom got upset about it.

>> by the time that she finally hit puberty and started to become, you know, her own person, she realized that maybe what mom's saying is not right. >> deborah: she says she and her mom clashed over typical things like dating and boys. >> it could be somewhere where she wouldn't feed me for two days or so. >> she had run away, and dee dee found her in four hours. >> physically chained me to the bed. and put bells on the doors. and told all of anybody that i probably would've trusted that i was going through a phase. >> that was dee dee's way of making sure you were going to stay my sweet little girl that's in my control. >> it does seem like that gypsy's mother's whole life was revolved around being the mother of gypsy. and gypsy didn't have any place to turn. i haven't seen, personally, a case in which there was that much control.

>> deborah: gypsy says she continued using secret accounts, eventually meeting nick godejohn on that christian dating website. he even traveled to springfield to meet her at a movie theater. and what was playing? "cinderella." >> she would be dressed as cinderella, and he would be dressed as her prince charming. >> deborah: she says she was too scared to tell her mom about nick, so they hatched a plan. pretend they were strangers who just happened to meet at the theater. in their minds, dee dee would likely give her blessing for them to see each other again. that did not happen. >> she had ordered me to stay away from him in the movie theater. and i disobeyed. i sat right next to him, and that made her more angry. and so, when the movie was over, she stormed out. >> deborah: and at home, gypsy says the fallout was severe. >> throwing things, breaking things, smashing things of mine. calling me names.

bitch, slut, whore. >> deborah: but that didn't stop gypsy's relationship with nick from intensifying. there was role playing, trading suggestive photos and messages. >> crazy wigs and sexy outfits and licking a knife. this was all going on, as her mother slept, online. >> at the time that she took those photos, she would have been 22 or 23, which is not unusual for a normal, healthy woman to do. but, um, you know, she had been infantilized so much that people immediately looked at that as a negative aspect. >> she was in love with him. she thought that he was going to be the prince that came and finally saved her and got her out of her locked tower and

they'd live happily ever after. >> deborah: the investigation into dee dee's murder had really uncovered some damning evidence against gypsy. remember, she admitted to paying for all of those bus tickets and giving nick the knife the night of the murder. >> i wanted to go help her so bad, but i was so afraid to get up. it's like my body wouldn't move. it's like it happened, but it was happening to somebody else or like a dream or nightmare. it's like it wasn't real. >> i think some people believed she found the perfect patsy in nicholas godejohn as someone to do her dirty work. >> i would never kill somebody. that's why i asked him to. i'd like to think there's a big difference between someone who asks someone to kill someone and someone that actually does it.

>> deborah: and the question now becomes, would a court of law agree? >> how do you plead to the class "a" felony of murder? >> there are people out there that believe that she couldn't escape unscathed from growing up with that kind of a manipulator. that she learned, from dee dee, how to get people to do what you want them to do. >> deborah: unraveling gypsy and dee dee's past is only just beginning. >> dee dee was arguably one of the greatest con people i will probably ever see or hear. >> deceiving local charities. deceiving businesses. it was incredible. >> and i was like, "holy [ bleep ], y'all need to get over here right now and look at this."

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it is the perfect town, the perfect place. >> to understand the depths of dee dee blanchard's deception and build a case for his client, gypsy's public defender mike stanfield begins at the scene of the crime, in that little pink house at the intersection of hope road and volunteer way. >> the house was a disaster. the first thing that really stood out to us was the number of wheelchairs that we encountered inside gypsy's house. i believe we found four

different wheelchairs. >> i could tell dee dee did a lot of just hoarding. and stuff piled up, i mean, like, chest-high to the back of the room. >> when we went into dee dee's room, the ceremonial check from miranda lambert was just lying on the ground. she had acquired all of these things over all these years, but they didn't seem to really hold any value. the final thing that really stuck out was the closet. >> when i opened it, i was like, "holy [ bleep ]." my mouth dropped. from the top to the bottom, full of so many medications. >> she had even written on several of the bottles of gypsy's medication as if she was writing it for a child.

for the antiseizure medication, it would say, "shakey baby." in every other area of dee dee's life, it appeared that she had absolutely no organization or cleanliness except when it came to these medications. that was an indicator to me that something was seriously wrong. >> the only thing that i have wrong with me is i have a little bit of a lazy eye. i have better vision in this eye than i do that eye. that's it. >> it's becoming more and more obvious that the abuse is the central focus of what is going on. and so after investigating as much as i could investigate in springfield, i needed to speak to the rest of her family. >> deborah: that meant a trip down to louisiana, where dee dee

first met gypsy's father, rod, and where gypsy's family still lived. >> in the early days, nothing was out of place. it was just, you know, the average joe family. >> hey, gypsy. i love you >> the weird stuff didn't take till later. >> she started on gypsy at an early, early, early age. young. more or less, like, getting her programmed. >> gypsy, where's your noggin? where's your gluteus maximus? where's your findales? very good. >> deborah: gypsy says she had all kinds of surgeries she didn't need. on her eyes, on her stomach. she had teeth pulled. even surgery to remove her salivary glands. >> she put orajel on my mouth. and i didn't know that then, but i know why now, and it was because orajel numbs your --

your gums, and you drool. >> this is coming up to lady of the sea hospital where dee dee and kristy worked together. >> she was a nurse's aide. i was a med surg tech. and we meshed really well. it worked out good until she found out rod and i were dating. >> gypsy's parents were no longer together. rod said he tried to stay in his daughter's life but says dee dee never let him get too close. >> all the visits, dee dee had to be there the whole time. something never felt right about it. just -- dee dee was so controlling of her. all the while, she's telling people that i'm abusive, i abandoned them. i did all i could for them. i had a court order to keep medical insurance on her. every company i worked for had insurance. she was on the insurance, and i paid child support. i raised my child support on my own as i made more money.

>> the hardest part of this case was when i had to explain to her that her father didn't abandon her and show her the receipts from where her dad had been paying child support most of her life. her entire life had been a lie. >> i know now that he would try to come and visit me, and he would try to call. but mother would just ignore the calls, delete the calls, tell me that on my birthday, "oh, he forgot your birthday again." it would make her seem like the better parent because she would be there with a cupcake. you know, "i remembered your birthday. he didn't, but i did." >> deborah: as stanfield digs into dee dee's past, he comes upon a shocking secret. allegations of dee dee's crimes go far beyond gypsy. >> while i was down in louisiana, kristy had mentioned to me that i needed to speak with the police there.

and so i met with one of the senior officers who showed me warrants that dee dee had out for her arrest in the state of louisiana. >> from '97 to 2002 she's had one, two, three, four, five, six, seven -- >> contempt of court. >> ten warrants. >> and she was writing worthless checks. >> they were nonextraditable warrants, which meant as long as she was not in the state of louisiana, she would not be arrested for them. every portrayal that i had seen of dee dee up to that point was that she was this loving, caring mother. and now, all of a sudden, i've got cases for everything from defrauding merchants with bad checks to stealing from her own father. it's just another time where i'm starting to see a bigger picture. one of the big things that we needed to do was to unravel the medical mysteries.

what i could never figure out was how it was that dee dee never got caught. >> my mother was so good at manipulation. she was so good at working it. but what i don't understand is, the test results came back normal. when the doctors were looking at these results, how come they didn't report anything then? >> deborah: so you hold them partly responsible? >> i do. i do. >> gypsy came to my office, august 2007, with her mother. i do have regrets. i think i could have maybe saved gypsy from a few years of suffering. ♪ when you have ms. like me. and me. and me. progress is reducing relapses and slowing disability progression. we take ocrevus, an infusion treatment that's just two times a year. a prescription treatment for adults

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♪ so, where are you going today? >> i'm going to children's mercy hospital. what i don't understand is the test results of different surgeries and procedures came back normal. i'm completely healthy. >> it took me seven to eight months to unravel how dee dee was able to fool doctors. >> deborah: and gypsy saw a lot of doctors -- at least 150, according to medical records reviewed by "20/20."

>> i had different doctors, and we'd usually piggyback appointments, so i'd probably have two or three in a day. sometimes i'd have a surgery scheduled as well. >> every single record was full of, "mother reports this, mom says that," but at only one time did i ever see, "gypsy said" anything. >> deborah: gypsy says her mom often held her hand in public, not to show support or affection, but to squeeze it when she wanted to keep her quiet. >> i would have a doll or a stuffed animal that i would play with, and mom would say "don't talk. just play with your stuffed animal, and we'll do something fun after." >> i met gypsy as a pediatric neurologist in springfield, missouri, in

august 2007. my initial assessment, i saw a 14-year-old girl that was sitting in a wheelchair. the mother reported that gypsy has had muscular dystrophy. she mentioned the words cerebral palsy. >> the testing didn't seem to show the same type of disabilities that gypsy should be showing. >> there was nothing there to support either. that kind of made me very suspicious. >> deborah: dr. flasterstein says he told dee dee that gypsy's previous diagnoses were wrong. >> but the mother was not happy with that, and then she left the office in a storm and told my nurses that i don't know what i'm talking about, and that she's not coming back. >> at that point, dee dee moved all of gypsy's care from springfield up to children's mercy in kansas city. >> i couldn't prove it, but i became suspicious. i mentioned the possibility of munchausen by proxy. >> munchausen by proxy refers to a situation in which a

caretaker, usually a mother, falsifies illness on behalf of another person, usually her child, in order for that child to be perceived as ill. this is a form of child abuse. >> you think about the parent as the ultimate protector. how could a parent do this? >> all these parents know they're abusing their children. they know they are falsifying the illness. and usually the motivation is to obtain attention or admiration for being the parent of an apparently sick child. >> deborah: it's one thing for her mother to give a story to the doctors. but when they run blood tests and do brain scans and they see that she's not ill, how do you explain them not challenging her more after that? >> there isn't an explanation for that. i tell physicians when we do trainings, "if you write in your chart of possible munchausen by proxy, you're writing possible child abuse. and you need to report." it's not a choice, and that's

one of the ways that the medical team absolutely failed gypsy. >> what dee dee was actually doing was staying one step ahead of the doctors. she would wait until a few weeks after gypsy's appointment, she would ask for a set of medical records, and if she noticed that the doctor was starting to get suspicious, she would move to a different provider. >> when you have a suspicion and you think that harm has been caused, you can consider that a type of child abuse, and you could report that to social services and say, "i have a suspicion." i, at the time, did not think that it had enough information just to call. >> david: dr. flasterstein didn't report dee dee to authorities, but says he did share his suspicions with gypsy's pediatrician, dr. robert steele, who says he had his own concerns about gypsy. >> i was gypsy's pediatrician for many years. over time, my nurse came to me

with three documents, and on these three separate documents, she had three separate birthdays. as i begin to look at all these diagnoses and the documents with the wrong birthdates, i called the missouri department of family services and i said, "i am concerned this child has been kidnapped." >> deborah: in 2009, child protective services visited dee dee and gypsy at home. according to this police report obtained by "20/20," a doctor alerted authorities when he "could not find any symptoms that would support what dee dee alleges to be wrong with her daughter." case workers confirmed dee dee and gypsy's identities and noted that gypsy's "personal and physical needs" were being attended to. no further actions were taken. >> if you could say anything to gypsy today, what would it be? >> i'd say, i'm sorry i failed

you. that's what i would say. i'm really sorry. >> deborah: some of your former doctors have talked about your case. and some of them feel guilty about it. what do you think of that? >> i'm conflicted. part of me feels that i was failed by the medical system. >> deborah: so you hold them partly responsible? >> i do. i do. and i think that there is a level of responsibility that should be placed on them. >> deborah: we reached out to gypsy's primary hospitals in missouri. only one responded. in a statement to "20/20," mercy hospital in springfield said, in part, "we cannot provide details of a patient's treatment. our prayers are with ms. blanchard as she moves forward with her life." >> many people just can't understand why you didn't just get up and walk out of that wheelchair. you weren't sick. why didn't you just do that? >> it's painful to talk about,

because it goes so deep. it's mental. it's emotional. it's physical. i feared more than anything that if i ran away, that things would be worse for me at home. >> this abuse starts early, and these children are socialized and live in a culture in which they are supposed to do what they're told, and they've learned that, "this is the role i play." >> she was charged with first-degree murder initially, and first-degree murder only has the one authorized punishment, life without parole. there was not a traditional defense to this. there was not a "she didn't do it." there wasn't a "she had no knowledge." the ultimate resolution was, we entered a guilty plea to a reduced charge, which was murder in the second degree. >> how do you plead to the class "a" felony of murder in the second degree? >> guilty. >> she's to be sentenced to

10 years in the missouri department of corrections. >> deborah: gypsy takes responsibility for the fact that she did something horrible, heinous. could a person feel that murder is their only way out in a situation like this? >> i think she did. and she'd said, "it was wither her or me," and that's how she felt at the time. >> deborah: but murder? killing your mother? >> i think about kidnapped victims, and i wonder if people would say the same if a kidnapped victim killed a person that had -- was holding them hostage. >> the prosecutor did an excellent job of making sure that justice was served for the community, but also making sure that what gypsy went through was taken into account. >> deborah: for gypsy, prison offered a new lease on life. she made big plans for her future, and even revealed a dark

secret about her past. why reveal it now? >> there are just many things that i wasn't ready to talk about. there's nothing glamorous about migraines. since i was a teenager... ...the pain has taken me away from my family and friends. but i finally found relief with nurtec odt. it's the only medication that can treat my migraine when it strikes and prevent my migraine attacks. treat and prevent, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. i'm so grateful that i found something that worked for me. talk to your doctor about nurtec odt. juliana, big mac, no pickles, extra special sauce. and jimena, quarter pounder with cheese, extra pickles, no onions. thanks dad! ♪ you got it! ♪ [bubble pops] ♪ buy one favorite like a big mac, ♪ and get another for just a buck. ♪ right now at mcdonald's. ♪

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♪ couple of ground rules before we begin. >> deborah: in 2018, it was nick godejohn's turn to face trial.

his defense team raised questions about nick's mental capacity and pointed the finger at gypsy as the mastermind of the murder. >> whose idea was it to kill your mother? >> mine. >> why did you want to kill your mother? >> because i wanted to be free of her hold on me. >> after two hours of deliberation -- >> we the jury find the defendant, nicholas godejohn, guilty of murder in the first degree. >> a guilty verdict, and a mandatory life sentence. >> i don't hate him. i feel sorry for him, and just that somebody could do something so heartless and not express remorse. >> deborah: is it fair that he is incarcerated for life for killing your mom, and you're out? >> i did my time. he's doing his time for his part. and i wish him well on his journey.

>> deborah: for gypsy, prison offered a chance at a new life. you felt freer in prison than you had out in the world. >> yes, yes, absolutely. >> deborah: how so? how is that possible? >> well, i was able to do the simple things like just sitting in the sun. even in a restricted environment, you can make friends. that is something like i had been kept from my whole life. >> deborah: gypsy went into prison with just a second grade education and earned her g.e.d. behind bars. she also sought out therapy, and she filmed a documentary series with lifetime. >> how are you feeling today? >> nervous. >> deborah: in it, she reveals a secret about her past -- an addiction to painkillers. >> it took me down a really dark path. but i felt like it was my only way to cope for a time until i was able to take some classes and get better coping skills. and now i'm sober. >> deborah: why reveal it now? why didn't you say anything

about it then? >> there are just many things that i wasn't ready to talk about at the time. >> deborah: so when you made this decision to take part in the killing of your mom, were you high? >> yes, i was. i was actually arrested with the pain medication in my bag. i don't blame drugs. there's my perspectives. there's my reasons. um, but there's no excuse for committing murder. >> deborah: despite her conviction for a brutal crime, the public fascination with gypsy just grew stronger. >> the bizarre story of gypsy and dee dee blanchard continues to intrigue people around the world. people are driving through the north springfield neighborhood to get a glimpse of the former blanchard house. >> deborah: meanwhile, fan letters poured in to gypsy's new address in a missouri prison. in prison, you had a lot of correspondence. you got a lot of letters from a lot of people. >> uh-huh. >> deborah: romantic letters as well? >> some romantic letters.

some -- a lot of guys trying to get with me. >> deborah: did that surprise you? >> at first, it surprised me. and then when "the act" had came out, it skyrocketed. >> deborah: "the act." an emmy-winning series on hulu about gypsy's life. >> my mom is my best friend. all she wants to do is keep me safe. >> gypsy! >> one of those letters was written to you by a guy named ryan anderson. ryan anderson is a 37-year-old special education teacher, and like gypsy, is from louisiana. what led you to write her in prison? >> honestly, it was just out of a whim. and a show, "tiger king," was very popular at the time. and my friend, she just kept going on and on, "i want to write this person, i want to write him sdwroochlt." finally, i said, "i'll tell you what. you write him, and i'll write gypsy rose blanchard." >> the first time that i talked to him on the phone, i could tell that he was genuine. i have a pretty good judge of character now. and he's just a teddy bear. he's so sweet.

>> deborah: when did you realize it was love? >> i actually always kind of knew it. i always kind of knew it. >> i tell you what, the first time i heard her voice i fell in love. >> deborah: people seem to be very protective of gypsy. a lot of people are expressing suspicion about you. >> that's understandable. i understand that. i'm an open book. um, gypsy could see that i was genuine. people can be protective all they want, but i'm the most protective of her. for the third visit, i bought an engagement ring. and i snuck it in, put it on my chain. >> deborah: you proposed to her, and you both decided to get married. you're in prison. you're going to get out. why wouldn't you just wait? >> actually, a lot of people told us to wait. i think that i knew what i wanted, and i wanted this marriage. >> deborah: in july of 2022, two years after that first jailhouse letter, gypsy and ryan get their not-so-storybook wedding.

>> i never thought this day would come. if i'm crazy enough to write gypsy rose blanchard a letter, i'm crazy enough to be marrying her today. and i'm so excited for our future. >> hey. >> hey, baby. so what did you think of this morning? >> the whole morning i was kind of, like, nerves, nerves, nerves. and then as soon as i said, "i do," the nerves went away. >> well when you said "i do," i was like, "thank god." >> deborah: they're newlyweds, but they can't be together. gypsy's still in prison, facing another three years behind bars. her family and friends begin pushing for parole. >> phone rings, and i see it's gypsy, and she's like, "mom, guess what?" i'm like, "what?" >> i got my answer today. it's really good news. i am leaving prison and going

home on my earliest out date of december 28, 2023. >> i was jumping up and down and all excited. >> deborah: a marriage. a docuseries. a book. millions of people following you on social media. >> i'm living my best life, and y'all can't take that from me. >> deborah: do you feel any conflict with that? you've got fame even though you participated in a murder? dupixent helps you du more with less asthma. and can help you breathe better in as little as two weeks. dupixent is an add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that's not for sudden breathing problems. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. get help right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines, including steroids, without talking to your doctor.

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♪ it was early, early morning, but it was one of those things i was super excited. game time. game time. >> deborah: ryan anderson learns it's time to pick up his wife. gypsy's being released on parole. >> they called me at, like, 2:30 in the morning, say, "be here in 45 minutes." had to pull into the prison. >> deborah: what did you feel first when you set your foot out the door? >> i felt a little bit like i was dropped in a different world.

because you don't realize how much you're restricted in prison. i felt like i was in a black-and-white world and i just stepped into technicolor. >> she got in my car, and, you know, it was like that was the place she was meant to be, right next to me in the passenger seat. >> i missed you. >> i missed you too. >> i hadn't been in a car in eight and a half years, so it felt a little fast for me. >> you're free. >> i'm free. whoo, this car is going really fast. >> deborah: tell me about when you first saw your dad. >> i just -- i gave them the biggest hug. >> hi. >> what took you so long? >> hi. >> safe and sound. just like i said. >> and it was great because there was no guards saying, "you can't hug her." thank you. >> i'm so happy for you. >> my dad and i have been rebuilding our relationship for

a while now, and i think that after i got arrested, it gave life to the possibility of us building this father-daughter bond that we always wanted to have with each other. >> i think we're doing really good. i tease her, i mess with her, keeping being one of her biggest supporters. >> deborah: and your stepmom, you've also grown close to kristy. >> she's the mother that i wish that i was born with. i call her mom. >> she asked me if she could. i told her i'd be honored. she can't wait to just be normal. >> i was invited to the release party. it was good to see her happy, good to hug her. i just hope she and her husband and her family will keep her grounded. >> most of the clients that i've come into contact with don't

have loving, supportive families to go home to when it's over. her finally stepping out into the world with all of the love and support, that's really the best thing i could have ever hoped for. >> i'm finally free! i'm about to celebrate with my family. >> deborah: and there's gypsy, posting right away on her social media. >> she posted her first selfie of freedom, and it went wildly viral. >> isn't this epic? oh, my god, i'm so enjoying my time right now. >> deborah: those posts giving a glimpse into her new world as a 32-year-old captivates nearly 20 million followers. >> as an internet culture reporter, i spend a lot of time on platforms like tiktok, instagram, twitter. and i was seeing this trend, where people were sort of treating her like this camp icon. ♪ the name on everything's lips is gonna be gypsy ♪

>> and kind of treating her like this folk hero. but then i noticed people were positioning gypsy like a mainstream celebrity. >> i'm living my best life, and y'all can't take that from me. >> deborah: are you enjoying the attention? >> honestly, i'm a very shy person. i don't think that i'm doing anything that anybody else wouldn't do. i'm being myself. i'm posting -- >> deborah: but you're posting some intimate comments lately about your sex life. >> i'm a newlywed, you know? i'm newly married, and i just came out, and so i'm living my -- my best married life with my husband. i don't -- i don't think that's any different than any other wife would. >> she's got a certain level of fame now. could that be dangerous for her trying to find a healthy life? >> i think that's probably always dangerous for anyone trying to find a healthy life.

of other victims that i've worked with that, when they finally got their health back, they celebrated their health. and i do see that aspect of her. she's a healthy adult at this point. she's also, now, really free for the first time. >> deborah: basically, every second of gypsy's life after her release obsessively documented by those paparazzi cameras. "tmz" even capturing gypsy and ryan's kiss on new year's eve. >> and that, to me, really demonstrated the cognitive dissonance in how we're viewing gypsy's story. what gypsy did was a crime. we cannot imagine the horrors that she went through, but it was still a crime. >> deborah: do you feel any conflict with that? you've got fame even though you participated in a murder? >> of course i feel conflicted. fame is not what i'm looking for.

i'm trying to find a balance of how to cope with how i feel about myself. so when i'm getting the attention on social media, there is this massive amount of support, and i appreciate that. but i'm dealing with a lot of self-guilt myself and regrets myself. it's a battle going on in my heart and mind. >> deborah: how much do you think about your mom? do you miss your mom, dee dee?

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♪ >> deborah: much of your life with your mom was built on essentially getting people to sort of empathize with you. how do you convince people that you're not manipulating them now, as you and your mom did so many years ago? >> i don't think i can convince anyone anything. i'm not setting out to manipulate anyone. >> deborah: your mom has been portrayed as a monster. was she a monster? >> i don't believe my mother was a monster. she had mental illness. um, she had a lot of demons herself that she was struggling with.

and she would've needed mental health care. >> deborah: do you miss your mom dee dee? >> yeah. i miss my mom. i still think about my mom from time to time. after all, she still was my mother, no matter what she did to me. >> god bless gypsy for having, you know, that heart to forgive her mom, you know. i had to forgive her for me. rod still hasn't forgiven dee dee. i don't think he ever will. >> i'm not wasting my energy on her. i mean, i'm focused on gypsy. it's all about moving forward now for her. >> so i wanted to kind of bring things back to the point of why i'm on social media to begin with. i share my story to be a cautionary tale so that the next person that might be in a situation like mine, they don't take the route that i did. >> deborah: how challenging

is it going to be for her to get her balance? >> she's a convicted felon. that may get in the way of her being able to work. certainly she is in the spotlight, and that puts her at so much risk. but prison was a good place for her. she went into prison with a second grade education. she came out with a high school equivalency. she came out with a husband. she came out reunited with her family, her very supportive family. these are all very good prognostic factors. >> aww, that's so crazy! >> deborah: what are your plans? do you want to have children? >> we've talked about starting a family. we just don't know when, at this point. right now, we're just trying to focus on our marriage and establishing a good marriage before we put kids into it. >> i think i'm her prince charming. i think so.

>> deborah: so this is your happily ever after? the gal who liked being a princess -- >> it is, yeah. i had to kiss a couple frogs to get to this one, handsome face. >> aw, thank you, baby. >> deborah: it's certainly a brand-new world for gypsy. if you're curious about her life after, lifetime's docuseries "the prison confessions of gypsy rose blanchard" is available now on demand and all direct to own platforms. >> david: we should also note tonight that nicholas godejohn requested a new trial. he declined our request for an interview. that was a fascinating interview with gypsy rose. that is "20/20." i'm david muir. >> deborah: i'm deborah roberts. from all of us here at abc news, good night.

a man near a popular tahoe ski resort following a chase and crash. good evening. i'm ama daetz this whole thing started in tahoe city around ten this morning. police say they were responding to a carjacking and tried to pull the vehicle over. it ended with a crash near the olympic village inn and the suspect got out. they say he was carrying a knife. according to california state parks. a state parks police officer tried to stop a vehicle that was involved in a carjacking in tahoe city about seven miles away. the chase ended in a crash here in the palisades tahoe parking lot. it's unclear why the chase led here. the state park spokesperson didn't have any information