Gypsy Blanchard's step-mom welcomes her new fiance with open arms: 'We really do like him and we hope to get to know him better'
The Missouri woman who murdered her mother after she forced her to portray herself as terminally ill for years has now announced her engagement, with her well-wishers supporting the relationship.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard's stepmother Kristy told People they often talk to the man, who has been identified only by his first name, Ken.
“We really do like him and we hope to get to know him better,” she said. “He loves Gypsy very much, and you can clearly see that when he talks about her and looks at her."
Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the June 2015 stabbing death of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, and is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for the same. Ken reportedly wrote a letter to Blanchard after watching the HBO documentary on her case, 'Mommy Dead and Dearest'. The couple later met and have known each other for almost two years.
Family friend Fancy Macelli told People in April that the 27-year-old quietly announced to family and friends earlier this year that she and her boyfriend are getting married.
“They are very happy,” Macelli said. “You can hear the excitement in her voice.”
This is the first relationship Blanchard has gotten into after dating Nicholas Godejohn, the man who helped her end her mother's life.
Meanwhile, Godejohn is serving life without parole after being convicted of first-degree murder as he killed Dee Dee to help Blanchard escape a life of constant abuse.
Macelli told the outlet in April the couple's relationship first started off as platonic, before they eventually grew close after months of correspondence.
According to experts, Blanchard was the victim of Munchausen by proxy, a rare form of abuse in which a guardian exaggerates or induces illness in a child to gain attention and sympathy. In this case, the guardian was her own mother.
That said, the couple is waiting for Blanchard's release before they get married. She is currently serving ten years at Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri, and will be eligible for parole in 2023.
“He’s just there for her,” Macelli said. “I’ve seen her grow into a really intelligent, mature person and I think a lot of that does have to do with the relationships that she’s now allowed to have…You can draw from the people you have around.”
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.