Nicholas Godejohn | Did Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Lover Deserve Life in Prison?

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[00:01:43] This is true crime psychology and personality, where we discuss the pathology behind some

[00:01:48] of the most horrific crimes and those who committed them from a scientifically informed

[00:01:53] perspective.

[00:01:56] I'm Dr. Todd Grande.

[00:01:57] I have a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision, and I'm a licensed professional

[00:02:02] counselor of mental health.

[00:02:04] Dr. Todd Grande.

[00:02:05] That's my YouTube channel.

[00:02:07] Today's question is, can I analyze the case of Nicholas Godegon?

[00:02:12] First, I'll look at the background of this case, move to the timeline of the crime, then

[00:02:16] offer my analysis.

[00:02:18] Nicholas Godegon was born on May 20, 1989 and lived in Big Bend, Wisconsin.

[00:02:24] His parents separated when he was young.

[00:02:27] In grade school, Nicholas was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

[00:02:31] His entire time in school was spent in special education classes.

[00:02:36] Nicholas was isolated and socially awkward.

[00:02:39] After school, he wanted to be a computer repair technician but was unable to learn the material

[00:02:44] required.

[00:02:45] He spent much of his time online and was unemployed.

[00:02:49] In October of 2012, Nicholas met a woman named Gypsy Rose Blanchard on a Christian singles

[00:02:55] website.

[00:02:57] Gypsy was about two years younger than Nicholas and lived in Springfield, Missouri.

[00:03:01] She was trapped in a terrible situation with her mother, Claudine Blanchard, who went by

[00:03:06] the name Dee Dee.

[00:03:08] For just about her entire life, Gypsy had been the victim of her mother's criminal behavior.

[00:03:14] Dee Dee Blanchard appeared to be suffering from a mental disorder called factitious

[00:03:18] disorder imposed on another, which is also known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

[00:03:24] She had repeatedly taken Gypsy to medical providers and falsely claimed that Gypsy had

[00:03:29] various illnesses like lung disease, leukemia, asthma, and epilepsy.

[00:03:35] Gypsy had been subjected to multiple surgeries due to her mother's criminal behavior.

[00:03:41] She was forced to use a wheelchair despite being able to walk.

[00:03:45] One motive that Dee Dee Blanchard had was financial.

[00:03:48] She had gained substantial resources from perpetrating the fraud about Gypsy's health.

[00:03:55] Gypsy had attempted to escape from Dee Dee Blanchard in 2011 and was punished severely

[00:04:00] as a result.

[00:04:01] She was a prisoner in the sense that she had been completely manipulated by her mother,

[00:04:06] Dee Dee.

[00:04:07] Because people had failed to detect or failed to report Dee Dee's criminal activity, the

[00:04:12] police had actually visited Dee Dee and Gypsy based on an anonymous tip.

[00:04:17] They concluded that Gypsy was mentally ill and took no action to help her.

[00:04:22] Gypsy was feeling increasingly desperate to escape the mistreatment at the hands of her

[00:04:26] mother.

[00:04:28] Within eight days of Gypsy and Nicholas making contact, the young couple declared themselves

[00:04:33] to be lovers.

[00:04:35] Their romantic relationship needed to stay secret because Dee Dee would not allow Gypsy

[00:04:39] to have contact with anyone.

[00:04:41] Gypsy would often communicate online with Nicholas at night in order to avoid detection

[00:04:46] by her mother.

[00:04:48] Young lovers would talk about sex.

[00:04:51] Nicholas had a particularly strong interest in BDSM, which greatly influenced the nature

[00:04:56] of the discussions.

[00:04:58] He believed that he was deeply in love with Gypsy and thought of her as his soulmate.

[00:05:03] Nicholas believed he had something like dissociative identity disorder.

[00:05:08] He pretended to have multiple personalities.

[00:05:11] A key part of the online romance with Gypsy involved her sending videos to Nicholas where

[00:05:16] she expressed various personas.

[00:05:19] She would even wear wigs and other apparel to play characters.

[00:05:23] Nicholas talked about a few of the personas that Gypsy would play.

[00:05:27] There was evil Gypsy.

[00:05:29] There was a version who was highly sexually motivated.

[00:05:32] A mature version.

[00:05:33] A loving version.

[00:05:35] And a little girl.

[00:05:37] Throughout the course of their relationship, Gypsy shared information about how her mother

[00:05:42] was mistreating her.

[00:05:43] For example, she talked about how she could walk and did not need a wheelchair.

[00:05:47] Dee Dee was profiting from the crimes against her.

[00:05:51] Her mother was controlling and demanding.

[00:05:53] And how Gypsy believed she would never be free as long as her mother was alive.

[00:05:59] In May of 2014, Gypsy introduced the idea of murdering her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard.

[00:06:05] Nicholas suggested the idea of running away, but Gypsy said that plan would not work.

[00:06:10] Dee Dee would find them.

[00:06:12] Murder was the only solution.

[00:06:15] Young lovers started developing ideas to commit the murder.

[00:06:18] They discussed poison and firearms, but eventually decided that using a knife would be the most

[00:06:24] expedient and practical method.

[00:06:27] While they were still considering the homicide, the couple engaged in an experiment to see

[00:06:31] if Dee Dee would accept Nicholas as Gypsy's lover.

[00:06:35] On March 12, 2015, Dee Dee and Gypsy went to a movie theater in Springfield, Missouri

[00:06:41] to see the film Cinderella.

[00:06:44] Gypsy had arranged for Nicholas to be at that movie theater.

[00:06:47] She paid for his bus ticket.

[00:06:49] At the theater, Nicholas introduced himself to Dee Dee and sat next to Gypsy, but Dee

[00:06:54] Dee was not happy about this.

[00:06:56] Despite her displeasure with Nicholas, Dee Dee intently watched the movie, which gave

[00:07:01] Nicholas and Gypsy a chance to hold hands and kiss.

[00:07:05] At one point, they went into a bathroom and had sex, at least according to Nicholas.

[00:07:10] He would later describe that moment as a state of bliss.

[00:07:14] Later, Gypsy informed Nicholas that their experiment did not go as planned.

[00:07:19] Dee Dee thought that he was weird and was not going to allow the relationship.

[00:07:23] The young lovers decided to move forward with their plan to eliminate Dee Dee.

[00:07:28] Now moving to the timeline of the crime.

[00:07:31] On June 8, 2015, using money that Gypsy mailed to him, Nicholas boarded a bus in Waukesha,

[00:07:37] Wisconsin.

[00:07:38] His destination was Springfield, Missouri.

[00:07:40] He arrived on June 9 at about 6 a.m. and stayed in a motel outside Springfield.

[00:07:47] Nicholas and Gypsy communicated that day via text message.

[00:07:51] They had many discussions about upcoming sexual contact and the homicide.

[00:07:56] Nicholas used a taxi to make his way to the house where Dee Dee and Gypsy lived, arriving

[00:08:01] at 2 o'clock in the morning, now on June 10.

[00:08:05] Gypsy led him inside the house and supplied him with gloves, duct tape, and a knife.

[00:08:09] Nicholas would later say that in that moment, he had an angel and a devil on his shoulders.

[00:08:16] The angel said that he should leave with Gypsy, like they should run away.

[00:08:20] The devil said that Dee Dee should die.

[00:08:24] Ultimately, Nicholas sided with the devil.

[00:08:27] He entered Dee Dee's bedroom where she was sleeping on her stomach.

[00:08:30] He jumped on her and started stabbing her.

[00:08:33] Dee Dee woke up and said, who are you?

[00:08:36] She screamed for Gypsy to help her.

[00:08:39] Gypsy was in the bathroom covering her ears, although she could still hear the screams.

[00:08:44] Nicholas said that he lost all control and continued the attack.

[00:08:48] The 48-year-old Dee Dee Blanchard died after being stabbed 17 times.

[00:08:53] After the murder, Nicholas inadvertently smeared blood all over the house from an injury on

[00:08:58] his hand.

[00:08:59] He asked Gypsy to clean it up while not wearing any clothing because that turned him on.

[00:09:05] The couple had sex, took $4,000 in cash, and went to the hotel where Nicholas had stayed

[00:09:11] earlier.

[00:09:12] Not long after this, they boarded a bus to Big Bend, Wisconsin.

[00:09:16] Dee Dee's body was found on June 15, one day after Gypsy wrote a message on Dee Dee's

[00:09:20] Facebook page which read, quote, that Blank is dead, unquote.

[00:09:25] Nicholas and Gypsy were arrested for murder.

[00:09:28] On July 5, 2016, Gypsy pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

[00:09:34] Nicholas went to trial in November of 2018.

[00:09:37] He was hoping to get a sentence similar to the one that Gypsy received, but ultimately

[00:09:42] He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted

[00:09:46] of first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

[00:09:50] Nicholas said that when he was convicted, Satan was around.

[00:09:54] Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released from prison in December of 2023.

[00:09:59] Nicholas Godejohn has appealed his conviction, but realistically, he is going to die in prison.

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[00:11:20] Now moving to my analysis.

[00:11:21] Here are my thoughts on a few areas that stood out to me in this case.

[00:11:26] Item number one.

[00:11:27] Nicolas Gaudijan had one run-in with the law prior to being charged with murder.

[00:11:32] On March 11, 2013, Nicolas was arrested at a McDonald's restaurant after the police

[00:11:37] received a complaint about him.

[00:11:39] He later pleaded no contest to indecent exposure.

[00:11:44] Item number two.

[00:11:45] Nicolas indicated that he was essentially a recluse when he encountered Gypsy Rose Blanchard.

[00:11:50] He did not have any social skills and mostly kept to himself.

[00:11:54] There's the sense that Gypsy was the only romantic contact that Nicolas ever had.

[00:12:00] He was clearly infatuated with her and his entire life became focused on continuing his

[00:12:05] relationship with her.

[00:12:07] He was extremely desperate to have sex with her and Gypsy was aware of this.

[00:12:12] This brings me to item number three.

[00:12:14] Didi Blanchard was an excellent instructor as far as manipulation skills, and her daughter

[00:12:19] learned these skills well.

[00:12:21] Gypsy was desperate to escape her mother's criminal behavior.

[00:12:25] Her desperation motivated her to leverage Nicolas Gaudijan's desperation.

[00:12:31] Gypsy wanted to escape pain and Nicolas wanted to have sex.

[00:12:35] Both lovers were strongly motivated and willing to do whatever was necessary to achieve their

[00:12:40] respective goals.

[00:12:41] When Nicolas suggested non-lethal solutions like running away, Gypsy was quick to focus

[00:12:47] on homicide as the only possible avenue.

[00:12:51] In order for Nicolas to prove his love, he was going to have to commit the murder.

[00:12:55] In his mind, Didi's murder was the gateway to having sex with Gypsy Rose Blanchard.

[00:13:02] Item number four.

[00:13:03] Nicolas and Gypsy planned the murder of Didi Blanchard for over a year.

[00:13:07] They both had plenty of opportunities to avoid going through with their plan.

[00:13:11] After entering the residence on the night of the murder, Nicolas thought to himself

[00:13:15] about if he really wanted to execute the plan.

[00:13:18] This is when he had his angel and devil on his shoulders moment.

[00:13:23] Nicolas understood what he was doing when he carried out the murder.

[00:13:26] He wanted to be a killer.

[00:13:29] He would later say that something inside of him clicked.

[00:13:31] He stated, quote, that part of me wanted to come out for a very long time.

[00:13:36] And the very first opportunity it got, it didn't waste any time.

[00:13:41] That dark shadow part of me that really is triggered by anger, once that anger clicks,

[00:13:47] I see red, unquote.

[00:13:49] Item number five.

[00:13:51] After completing the murder, Nicolas was then able to have sex with Gypsy.

[00:13:56] This was the realization of another fantasy.

[00:13:58] From the perspective of Nicolas, these were the best days of his life.

[00:14:03] Speaking of Gypsy, he said, quote, from the very beginning, I just knew we were soulmates.

[00:14:08] Those five days when I was actually with her, physically with her, those five days were

[00:14:13] the most intense, magical, and awe-inspiring days I've ever had, unquote.

[00:14:20] Nicolas had high hopes that he would be with Gypsy together forever.

[00:14:23] He said, quote, somehow I just knew deep within my heart someway me and her would end

[00:14:28] up being together in the end, unquote.

[00:14:31] Ultimately, Gypsy ended up marrying somebody else in prison, but Nicolas has not given up

[00:14:36] hope and he loves Gypsy with all his heart.

[00:14:40] He believes that somehow their magical relationship will work out and stated that Gypsy is still

[00:14:45] with him.

[00:14:47] It sounds like Nicolas is stuck in that five-day period after the murder, forever living it

[00:14:52] over and over.

[00:14:53] To him, it is some type of amazing dream.

[00:14:56] To everyone else, it is a nightmare.

[00:14:59] Item number six, Gypsy has stated that she is sorry about committing the murder, but

[00:15:04] Nicolas has a different perspective.

[00:15:06] When asked if he had any regrets, Nicolas indicated that he did not.

[00:15:10] He said, quote, I would have done it again.

[00:15:13] I might have done it differently, but I would have done it again, unquote.

[00:15:17] He appears to take pride that because of his efforts, Didi can no longer harm Gypsy.

[00:15:24] Item number seven, it seems clear that Nicolas was guilty of murder, but many people believe

[00:15:29] he should not have been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

[00:15:33] This brings me to the question, do I think that Nicolas deserved a life sentence?

[00:15:38] Let's take a look at the evidence both for and against the idea that he deserved to be

[00:15:42] in prison for life, starting with the factors supporting this theory.

[00:15:46] Nicolas physically carried out the murder after traveling across the country.

[00:15:50] The planning for the murder took over a year.

[00:15:53] Gypsy's options to escape the mistreatment from her mother may have been restricted,

[00:15:57] but Nicolas had all the routes available to him to stop Didi Blanchard, including contacting

[00:16:03] law enforcement.

[00:16:05] After the murder, Nicolas took cash and fled.

[00:16:07] It's clear he understood that his actions were morally wrong and illegal.

[00:16:12] Statements by Nicolas support the idea that he wanted to kill someone and he was strongly

[00:16:16] motivated by a desire to have sex with Gypsy.

[00:16:19] His motives were not altruistic.

[00:16:22] Moving to the factors contradicting the idea that Nicolas deserved a life sentence, even

[00:16:26] though his method was extreme, Nicolas did ultimately free Gypsy from a dangerous offender

[00:16:31] who may have killed her someday.

[00:16:34] His IQ score is 82, which is over a standard deviation below the mean.

[00:16:39] In addition, he suffered from autism spectrum disorder.

[00:16:42] There is this sense that Gypsy manipulated a vulnerable person to escape her suffering.

[00:16:48] When considering all the evidence, do I think that Nicolas Gaudijan deserved a life sentence?

[00:16:53] In my opinion, he should have been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

[00:16:59] I'm not sure it will ever be safe to release him, but I think he should have a chance to

[00:17:03] make his case someday, years in the future.

[00:17:06] Here are my thoughts on this.

[00:17:08] I think what happened here is that both Gypsy and Nicolas were struggling with the concept

[00:17:12] of evil.

[00:17:13] Gypsy had to contend with her mother, who put her through unimaginable suffering.

[00:17:18] Nicolas had to contend with his own dark sexual and homicidal desires.

[00:17:23] Gypsy gave Nicolas an opportunity to express his desires in a manner that allowed him to

[00:17:27] justify his behavior.

[00:17:29] Sometimes when a person struggles with the desire to do something that is wrong, they

[00:17:33] can rationalize the behavior by saying to themselves that their own immoral actions

[00:17:38] can be used to fight a greater evil.

[00:17:41] Essentially, through Gypsy, Dede Blanchard transformed Nicolas Gaudijan into the killer

[00:17:48] that he always wanted to be.

[00:17:58] This has been True Crime Psychology and Personality from Ars Langa Media.

[00:18:03] This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

[00:18:08] Ars Langa, Vida Brevis.

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