THE crime scene photos from Gypsy Rose Blanchard's mother's murder are some of the most graphic and disturbing images a veteran crime scene expert has ever seen, he told The U.S. Sun.
Gypsy and her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, were sentenced to prison for killingher abusive mother, Clauddine“Dee Dee” Blanchard.
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On June 14, 2015, Dee Dee was found stabbed to death in her home in Springfield, Missouri, about three hours south of Kansas City.
Two days later, Gypsy and Godejohn were arrested and accused of developing a sick plan to kill her mom.
However, after their arrest, it was revealed that Dee Dee spent years drugging her daughter and convincing her she was severely mentally and physically ill.
Gypsy developed an online relationship with Godejohn as she started to realize the severity of her abuse and convinced him to help get rid of her mom.
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After seven years in prison, Gypsy was released on December 28, 2023, and interest in her life skyrocketed.
The grim fascination grew even more last week when graphic crime scene photos resurfaced and circulated on social media via a Google Drive link.
Joseph Scott Morgan, a scholar of Applied Forensics at Jacksonville University and associate professor, spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun about the significance of the crime scene photos and Gypsy's case.
Morgan said the images that resurfaced are some of the "most horrific" photos he's seen throughout his forensics career.
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The photographs depict the graphic scene of the crime and give more insight into the home Gypsy lived in before her mom's murder.
The photos show the disorganized house with piles of clothes, magazines, and medication scattered throughout the home.
Morgan argued that the "disordered mess" in the home was a reflection of Dee Dee's brain.
"I don't know if that's one of the things that maybe drove Gypsy to the brink," he speculated.
Morgan described Gypsy as a master manipulator and added that the photos reveal an attack that was planned, especially given the disastrous nature of the home.
"Whoever did this attack had an awareness that they could make it through the piles of garbage in the house, specifically to the location where Dee Dee was in bed," he said.
He said that Nicholas must've had significant knowledge of the location where the attack would take place.
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THE BLOODY BED
The crime scene photos also showed Dee Dee's body following the bloody attack.
Dee Dee was stabbed 17 times in the back while she was lying in her bed.
When asked what the stab wounds indicate about the nature of Dee Dee's killing, Morgan simply responded, "Anger."
He explained that stabbings are a "particularly bloody affair," often producing more blood than gunshot wounds.
"You always hear the term gun violence and, yeah, there's gun violence. But when you're talking about pure, unadulterated violence, you have bludgeoning deaths - which are beatings," he added.
"The thing about a sharp force injury death is this out of all of the deaths, it's it's very personal," Morgan continued.
He said that sharp force injuries, like stabbing, are "highly sexualized."
Morgan explained that the thrusting motion of a stab wound is especially gruesome and horrific.
"It's one is not sufficient. Two is not sufficient. We've got to get up into the teens now to make this sufficient," he went on.
"And then you round all of this off with this aberrant sexual behavior, that makes it all the more horrible," Morgan explained.
Morgan also discussed how contained the murder was to Dee Dee's bed.
He questioned how Nicholas was able to keep her from fleeing, adding that we'll never truly know the events that transpired leading to Dee Dee's painful death.
'DRIVEN BY THE SALACIOUS'
Gypsy Rose's high-profile case has resonated with the public for almost a decade.
When asked why the public was so eager to see the graphic crime scene photos, Morgan responded, "We’re driven by the salacious. We are.
"For a lot of people that want to see images like this - they're fascinated by these sorts of things, and they want to get just close enough, but they don't want to get involved in it."
Morgan cited a famous quote from a French forensic scientist, Dr. Edmund Locard - "Every contact leaves a trace."
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He explained that in forensics, every contact made in that home is essential in painting the scene of the crime.
"Every contact that would have been made within that tight, little, dirty, filthy, grimy house, every contact is valuable at that point in time."
Gypsy Rose's life after prison
Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released from prison on December 28, 2023, after serving eight years for second-degree murder.
Since then, she's remained in the public eye. Here are some of the things she's gotten into since her release.
- "First selfie of freedom!" - A day after her release, Gypsy Rose shared her first post-prison selfie
- Good Morning America - Gypsy Rose reflected on her life in her first televised post-prison interview
- Red carpet appearance - Gypsy Rose appeared with her then-husband, Ryan Anderson, on the red carpet for the premiere of her Lifetime special, The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard
- Pregnancy rumors - Months after her release, speculation swirled that Gypsy Rose and her husband were expecting their first child, however, the couple seemed to ignore the rumors
- Separation from husband - After dropping several hints, Gypsy Rose confirmed in March that she and Ryan were separating
- New romance - Days after separating from Ryan, Gypsy Rose was spotted getting matching tattoos with her ex-fiance, Ken Urker, however, the two wouldn't confirm if they were a couple
- Unrecognizable - Gypsy Rose shocked her fans after revealing that she got a nose job
- Mom-to-be - On July 9, 2024, Gypsy Rose announced that she was expecting her first child with Ken
