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- [00:02]
Carter Roy
Crime House has the perfect news show for spooky season Twisted Tales. Hosted by Heidi Wong, each episode of Twisted Tales is perfect for late night scares and daytime frights, revealing the disturbing real life events that inspired the world's most terrifying blockbusters and the ones too twisted to make it to screen. Twisted Tales is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes out every Monday. This is Crime House. The bond between mothers and daughters is incredibly important for young girls. The relationship they have with their mom can impact the course of their entire lives. Their she's not just the person who gave them life, she's also the one who shapes their reality, teaching them the difference between true and false, right and wrong. It's a position of immense power and it comes with a lot of responsibility. But what happens when the person who is supposed to protect you can't be trusted? Gypsy Rose Blanchard asked herself this very same question growing up. She and her mother, Claudine Dee Dee Blanchard were inseparable. Dee Dee was a single mom and Gypsy had a lot of health problems. They spent most of their time together in and out of hospitals. Dee Dee took it all in stride. She dedicated her entire life to caring for Gypsy. Gypsy never questioned any of it. As far as she knew, it was her and Dee Dee against the rest of the world. But eventually a crack began to form and gypsies started to wonder was she a patient or a prisoner? People's lives are like a story. They're there's a beginning, a middle and an end, but you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon and we don't always get to know the real ending. I'm Carter Roy and this is True Crime Stories, a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios that comes out every Tuesday and Thursday at Crime House. We want to express our gratitude to you, our community, for making this possible. Please support us by rating, reviewing and following Murder True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts and to enhance your Murder True Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get ad free listening, early access to every two part series and exciting bonus content. This is the first of two episodes on the Twisted case of Claudine, Dee Dee Blanchard and and her daughter Gypsy Rose. Today we'll meet Dee Dee and Gypsy. We'll learn how Dee Dee remained dedicated to her daughter even when Gypsy faced one awful illness after another. Through it all, their community banded together to give Gypsy the best life possible, sending her to Disney World and even giving her and Dee Dee a new house. But there was one problem not everyone was convinced Gypsy was was actually sick. Next time, we'll follow along as Gypsy makes some startling discoveries about her mother. Before long, their relationship became strained. Gypsy was desperate to have her own life, but Dee Dee wasn't willing to let her go. Eventually, Gypsy only saw one way out, and it ended in murder. All that and more coming up. It's okay not to be perfect with finances. Experian is your big financial friend and here to help. Did you know you can get matched with credit cards on the app? Some cards are labeled no Ding Decline, which means if you're not approved, they won't hurt your credit scores. Download the Experian app for free today. Applying for no Ding Decline cards won't hurt your credit scores if you aren't initially approved. Initial approval will result in a hard inquiry, which may impact your credit scores. Experian@blinds.com, it's not just about window treatments. It's about you. Your style, your space, your way. Whether you DIY or want the pros to handle it all, you'll have the confidence of knowing it's done right. From free expert design help to our 100% satisfaction guarantee, everything we do is made to fit your life and your windows. Because@blinds.com, the only thing we treat better than Windows is you. Visit blinds.com now for up to 50% off primetime deals and free professional installation. Rules and restrictions apply. On May 3, 1967, Emma Petrie had her sixth child, a girl she named Claudine, but from the beginning, she was known as Dee Dee. The family lived in Golden Meadow, Louisiana, and it was a small town deep in the Louisiana bayou with a proud Cajun culture. Most people there worked in the commercial fishing industry, including Emma's husband, Claude. He spent most of his time out on the water, leaving Emma to care for the kids. And while she loved all her children, Dede was definitely her favorite. As the youngest, Emma was very protective of her. That might have been because Dee Dee was apparently diagnosed with a heart murmur before they even left the hospital. Heart murmurs are pretty common and usually disappear on their own over time, but Emma seemed to take the news of Dee Dee's murmur very seriously. While the other children ran and played, Emma held Dee Dee back. If the older kids got too rowdy and Emma would send them away, she'd tell them that Dee Dee needed to rest. And that wasn't the only way Emma singled Dee Dee out from her other children. Unlike her siblings, Dee Dee wasn't expected to do any chores while they had to work for their spending money, Dee Dee was given whatever she wanted. In the beginning, it was small things like toys and clothing. But as she got older, Dee Dee's requests became more extravagant. When she got her driver's license, Dee Dee asked for a car. And Emma didn't hesitate. She had Claude buy her a used vehicle. He fixed it up until it was running like new. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Dee Dee's biggest passion was beauty pageants. They combined two of her favorite things. Dressing up and being the center of attention. Pageants aren't a cheap hobby, though, and the Petris weren't wealthy. Still, Emma somehow managed to get Dee Dee everything she needed for the competitions. Fancy dresses, new shoes, makeup and hair products. Anything to make Dee Dee feel like a princess. The special treatment didn't stop when Dee Dee turned 18. After she graduated from high school in 1986, Dede decided to become a nurse's assistant. Claude and Emma were happy to pay for the courses she needed to take. It apparently wasn't an option they'd given any of the other kids. Once Dee Dee got her certification, she started working at a local hospital. It seemed like Dee Dee was a committed employee, but she also played as hard as she worked. Like most 20 somethings, Dee Dee loved a night out on the town. She was out with some friends at a bowling alley one night when she met Rod Blanchard. He was 17 years old and still in high school. They got to talking and hit it off. Rod knew she was older, but he didn't know by how much. For some reason, Dee Dee told him she was 21 when she was actually 23. They'd only been seeing each other for a few months when Dee Dee told Rod she was pregnant. Like Dee Dee, Rod had been raised in the south, and he knew a baby on the way meant they should get married. So they did. But it wasn't the happily ever after Dee Dee hoped for. According to Rod, he woke up on his 18th birthday with a pit in his stomach. He knew he'd made a mistake by marrying Dee Dee. He wasn't in love with her. When he told her, she flew into a rage. She tore their framed marriage license off the wall and hurled it at the ground. It shattered and sent shards of glass flying around the room. Rod stayed calm. He simply packed his things and moved out. Although he didn't want to be together, he still promised Dee Dee that he would be there for their child. But Dee Dee wasn't giving up so easily. Throughout her pregnancy, she tried to win Rod back. For perhaps the first time in her life, she wasn't getting what she wanted. On July 21, 1991, Dee Dee gave birth to a baby girl. Dee Dee loved the name Gypsy, and Rod's favorite band was Guns N Roses. So they decided to name their child Tipsy Rose. Choosing a name together was a sweet gesture, but it didn't change Rod's mind. By the time Gypsy was born, their relationship was officially over. Dee Dee and Rod divorced and she moved back in with her parents so they could help raise Gypsy. Like Most new mothers, 24 year old Dee Dee was exhausted and anxious. But it seemed like Gypsy was doing well. That all changed when she was three months old. Dee Dee became convinced that Gypsy was having trouble breathing at night. She claimed she took Gypsy to the pediatrician and learned that her daughter had sleep apnea. They sent Dee Dee home with a monitor for baby Gypsy to wear. If the machine detected a problem with Gypsy's breathing, it would set off an alarm. Rather than reassure Dee Dee, the monitor seemed to make her more nervous. To make matters worse, Rod had started seeing someone else. His new girlfriend was a woman named Christie, who'd actually worked as a nurse's aide with Dee Dee for a while. Rod said things were getting serious with Kristi and he wanted to introduce her to six month old Gypsy. Dee Dee agreed. She definitely wasn't happy about it, but at that point, she had bigger things to worry about. Around this time, Gypsy was diagnosed with strabismus, a condition where one or both eyes don't align properly. Over time, the misalignment can cause the brain to ignore signals from the weaker eye to prevent double vision. Eventually, this can lead to partial or total blindness if it's caught early. Strabismus can be treated with glasses or therapy, but serious cases like gypsies, can require surgery to fix it. So in 1992, at just 11 months old, Gypsy went under the knife for the first time. While Dee Dee sat in the waiting room, the nurses at the hospital would come by to check on her. Did she need anything? Had she eaten? They were just doing their jobs. But their attention seemed to awaken something in Dee Dee. It reminded her of the feeling she'd had as a child, that she was more special than everyone else. It also distracted her from the fact that her baby was in surgery. Despite Dee Dee's anxiety about the procedure, everything went well. But when she and Gypsy returned home, Dee Dee's family noticed that she seemed different. She'd always been an attentive mother, but now she watched Gypsy like a hawk. If there was even a hint that something might be wrong, she took Gypsy back to the doctor. As a nurse's assistant, Dee Dee had more medical knowledge than anyone else in her family, so they had no choice but to take what she said at face value. If Dee Dee said Gypsy was sick, she must be right. When Rod finally asked Dee Dee what was causing one year old Gypsy's many health issues, Dee Dee reportedly told him that Gypsy had a chromosomal disorder. It sounded scary but vague. According to Dee Dee, it meant Gypsy wasn't developing normally and it affected everything from her hearing to her digestive system. Despite what Dee Dee said, Gypsy seemed relatively healthy to everyone else. She played with her cousins and spent a lot of time with her grandpa Claude, fishing and riding along on his motorcycle. Then, when Gypsy was five years old, there was an accident. In 1996, Gypsy somehow fell off Claude's motorcycle and scraped her leg. By all accounts, it was a minor wound, but Dee Dee flew into a panic. She started by wrapping Gypsy's leg in a bandage. Then suddenly she had her in a knee brace. Eventually, Gypsy was in a wheelchair. No one even knew where Dee Dee got the wheelchair. It just appeared one day. At first, it seemed like a fun new toy for Gypsy, who taught herself how to do wheelies. But eventually, it got old. Like any five year old, Gypsy wanted to run and play things she knew she was perfectly capable of doing. But Dee Dee kept insisting she use the chair. If Gypsy fought her on it, Dee Dee would give her the silent treatment. This continued until Gypsy finally relented. But one day that year, Gypsy decided to push the boundaries. At a family birthday party, Dee Dee had to run to the store for something and Gypsy stayed behind. She sat in her wheelchair watching the other kids bounce on the trampoline. She desperately wanted to join them. Finally, she asked her aunts and uncles if she could jump too. They said yes. So Gypsy got out of her chair and hopped onto the trampoline. She moved just as well as the other kids, but when Dee Dee came back, Gypsy dropped like a limp noodle. Dee Dee stormed into the yard, yelling at her family that Gypsy was disabled. She angrily yanked Gypsy off the trampoline, put her back in her chair, and took her inside the house. It was a turning point for the rest of the family. Clearly, Gypsy could walk. So why was Dee Dee lying about it? Afterwards, one of Dee Dee's sisters called Rod to tell him that Gypsy could walk just fine. But when he called Dee Dee to confront her about it, she had a convincing answer ready. She explained that Gypsy's muscular disorder was progressive. Sometimes she felt good enough to walk, but using her legs only made the condition worse. As usual, Dee Dee sounded like she knew what she was talking about. To Rod, it seemed like Dee Dee was just being a concerned mom. Plus, he didn't feel like criticizing her. He carried a lot of guilt for leaving Dee Dee as a single mother, not that he wasn't helping out. From the moment they divorced, Rod had been paying $1,200 a month in child support, which which meant he had to work a lot. Still, he did what he could to be involved in Gypsy's life, but Dee Dee was about to make that a lot more difficult.
- [17:49]
Heather McDonald
This episode is brought to you by Netflix. Everyone is telling her she dreamt it.
- [17:53]
Carter Roy
But in the woman in cabin 10, Lo Blacklock is determined to uncover the truth in the gripping new thriller coming.
- [17:58]
Heather McDonald
To Netflix October 10th, Keira Knightley plays.
- [18:01]
Carter Roy
A journalist aboard a luxury yacht who.
- [18:03]
Heather McDonald
Witnesses a crime she can't unsee. Adapted from Ruth Ware's best selling novel, directed by Simon Stone.
- [18:09]
Carter Roy
Watch the Woman in Cabin 10 only.
- [18:11]
Heather McDonald
On Netflix on October 10th.
- [18:16]
Carter Roy
This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast Smart Move Being financially Savvy Smart move Another smart move having State Farm help you create a competitive price when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor. State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by State. In 1997, 30 year old Dee Dee Blanchard and her 6 year old daughter Gypsy Rose were living with her parents in La Forche Parish, Louisiana. Dee didn't mind being back home. She'd always been her parents favorite. She and her mom Emma were especially close. But that year tragedy struck. At some point Emma got sick. It's not clear what happened, but her health deteriorated quickly and in June, Emma passed away at 59 years old. Her death sent Dee Dee into a tailspin. After Emma's funeral, she took Gypsy and left. No one was sure where they'd gone or why until a few weeks later when it became clear that Dee Dee was on the run from the law. She was wanted by the Laforche Parish District Attorney for writing bad checks. Dee Dee was looking at prison time or a hefty Fine. Instead of taking responsibility, she'd taken Gypsy and gone on the lam. For a time, they bounced around from place to place. Sometimes they stayed in public housing. Other times they resorted to shelters. Dee Dee had taken two of her mom's credit cards and maxed them both out, which only added to her list of financial crimes. Rod did his best to keep track of them so he could continue to visit Gypsy. But Dee Dee kept moving farther and farther away to various small towns around southern Louisiana. When Gypsy asked why she didn't see her dad much, Dee Dee said it was because he was an alcoholic. She also claimed that Rod had left them because Gypsy wasn't the son he'd always wanted. None of it was true, but there was no one around to tell Gypsy otherwise. Slowly but surely, Dee Dee continued to isolate her daughter from the rest of her family. Before long, Gypsy was convinced that the only person she could ever count on was her mother. Dee Dee's supports meant everything to Gypsy, and it became more important when they eventually settled down. In 1999, the duo found a home in New Orleans. There, 32 year old Dede started telling people that 8 year old Gypsy had been diagnosed with leukemia. She called Rod and his now wife Christy to share the news. They were heartbroken. Gypsy had already been through so much and still relied on her wheelchair to get around. They couldn't believe she was suffering from cancer, too. Dee Dee's own family was more skeptical. After the wheelchair fiasco, they weren't sure if they could trust her. But then Gypsy's hair disappeared. Odit admitted that she had shaved it off. However, she insisted that was only because it had already started falling out from the chemo. When Dee Dee's family heard that, it became more difficult for them to deny that Gypsy was sick. Going through treatment was serious. Unfortunately, the bad news didn't stop at cancer. Shortly after the leukemia announcement, Gypsy had a feeding tube put in. Dee Dee had told doctors that her daughter had an aversion to eating thanks to severe acid reflux she'd apparently had as a baby. Dee Dee claimed she needed the feeding tube to make sure that Gypsy was getting enough calories. Dee Dee must have been very convincing because the doctors seemed to agree. The surgery itself was relatively minor. It took about 30 minutes to insert the tube through a small incision in Gypsy's abdomen. Even with the tube, Gypsy could and did eat by mouth. But now Dee Dee could put whatever she wanted into Gypsy's body whenever she wanted, and Gypsy didn't feel a thing. But shortly after gaining this new level of control, Dede was forced to give it up, at least temporarily. In 2000, 33 year old Dee Dee was in a pretty serious car accident. Gypsy was with her, but only suffered minor injuries. Dee Dee, on the other hand, nearly lost her foot. For once, she was the patient. Stuck in a hospital while Dee Dee was being treated, 9 year old gypsy went back to live with her grandpa Claude and his new wife. Even though her mother wasn't there, Gypsy dutifully used her wheelchair to get around. By then, Claude didn't try telling her otherwise. But one thing he couldn't understand was the feeding tube. From what he could tell, Gypsy could eat just fine without it. But Claude wasn't her mother. After two months, Dee Dee was released and joined Gypsy at her parents house. Only now Claude's new wife, Laura May was there. She was another one of Dee Dee's former co workers from her time as a nurse's aide. Claude and Laura May married less than a year after Dee Dee's mom passed. The timing of it all made Dee Dee furious. She hated Laura May for taking her mom's place. She didn't let Laura May know that though Dee Dee acted like a gracious houseguest and even cooked dinner for the family. It was an adjustment, but it seemed like everyone was getting along just fine. But then Laura May started getting sick and no one could figure out why. That is, until Gypsy accidentally spilled the beans. She was playing with Claude in the living room when she pointed to a box in the corner. She told him those were the special vitamins her mom put in Laura May's food. Claude was horrified. Gypsy had pointed to a box of Roundup, a powerful herbicide. Dee Dee had apparently been poisoning Laura May's food. The house erupted into mayhem and Laura Mae demanded that Dee Dee leave immediately. Dede didn't argue. She packed up her and Gypsy's things and hit the road again. They moved back to the New Orleans area, to a small town called Slidell. Right away, Dee Dee found Gypsy new doctors at Tulane University Hospital. Now she was worried that Gypsy had muscular dystrophy. The team ran some tests and they found nothing. All of Gypsy's results came back completely normal. But Dee Dee wasn't convinced. Instead of trusting the data, she simply took Gypsy to a different doctor. By this point, it was 2001 and Gypsy was 10 years old. She should have been mature enough to speak to her doctors directly and explain how she was feeling. And yet Dee Dee continued to do all the talking at their appointments. If anyone questioned Her Dee Dee explained that Gypsy was developmentally delayed. She claimed that mentally, Gypsy was anywhere between five and seven years old. That was also why she didn't send Gypsy to a regular school. Although Dee Dee insisted she was homeschooling Gypsy, it seemed like that had stopped a while ago. And so Gypsy only had about a second grade education. And because of all that, Gypsy did seem slow for her age. And Dee Dee made sure she looked the part, too. She always dressed Gypsy in princess costumes and wigs. Whenever they were at the doctors, she made sure Gypsy had some sort of doll or something, stuffed animal with her. While Dee Dee spoke to the physician, she instructed Gypsy to keep quiet and play with her toy. And no matter what, she was never to move her legs. The performance worked a lot of the time. Gypsy's new doctors agreed to put her on anti seizure medication and gave her a machine to help her breathe at night. She was also given prescriptions for anemia, asthma, allergies, and an alleged heart murmur. But while Dee Dee might have fooled the medical community, she couldn't outsmart biology. When Gypsy was 13 years old, she got her first period. She had no idea what was going on and was terrified. Instead of explaining what menstruation was and giving Gypsy pads or tampons, Dee Dee told her teenage daughter to wear diapers. For Gypsy, the experience was horrifying. Sadly, there was another disaster right around the corner. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana. The damage was extensive and devastating. Dee Dee and Gypsy evacuated to a shelter for people with special needs in cummington, Louisiana, about 30 minutes north of their home in Slidell. It was a month or so before they could get back home to check on things. When they did, there wasn't much left. While they were at the shelter, Dee Dee and Gypsy met a volunteer doctor. They told the physician about Gypsy's medical issues and how Dee Dee was struggling as a single mother. Their story tugged on the doctor's heartstrings. The physician wanted to help them get back on their feet. So the doctor arranged for Dee Dee and Gypsy to be evacuated to Aurora, Missouri. They were hundreds of miles from anyone who'd ever known them. For Dee Dee, this was a dream come true. There was no one around to question her decisions when it came to Gypsy. Now they could truly start over. Just when she thought it couldn't get better, a local news crew met their helicopter at St. John's Hospital, where they were being dropped off. Reporters called Dee Dee an inspiration. They were amazed by how much adversity she'd overcome and they wanted to know her story. Not only that, but they wanted to help her and Gypsy however they could. That included awarding Dee Dee and Gypsy with a brand new house. Dee Dee smiled graciously and hugged her daughter. To onlookers, Dee Dee looked like a caring mother who'd prevailed against all all odds. They had no idea how quickly her mask crumbled when the cameras weren't around. And Doug, here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds of with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Fairy Underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates Excludes Massachusetts the holidays have arrived at the Home Depot and we're here to help bring the excitement with decorations for every part of your home. Check out our wide assortment of easy to assemble pre lit trees so you can spend less time setting up and more time celebrating. And bring your holiday spirit outdoors with unique decor like one of our Santa inflatables. Whatever your style, find the right pieces at the right prices this holiday season at the Home Depot.
- [31:53]
Heather McDonald
Hello Juicy crime lovers. I'm Heather McDonald, host of Juicy Scoop, the number one longest running comedy interview podcast for over a decade. Well, now I'm bringing you some of the juiciest true crime episodes. We'll dive into the most outrageous crimes of passion, greed, deception and scandal. From cunning grifters to shocking betrayals. And yes, sometimes a love affair so twisted that someone ends up dead. Maybe even at the hands of their hot dentist. I'll be joined by a rotating panel of special guests, including my sister Shannon, a criminal defense attorney, along with police officers, detectives, and even my own husband, Peter, who's always ready to break down those infamous cases where a wife takes out her husband. So buckle up because we're about to revisit classic Juicy Crimes and uncover the latest cases everyone is talking about. Subscribe to Juicy Crimes for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
- [33:00]
Carter Roy
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, Louisiana. What was a horrific tragedy for most people turned out to be a golden ticket for 38 year old Dee Blanchard and her daughter Gypsy Rose. They were taken out of New Orleans and flown to Aurora, Missouri free of charge and given a brand new house. A news crew came to document their move in a line of volunteers brought in box after box of donated items quickly filling the empty rooms, Dee Dee sat on their new couch and marveled at their generosity. By all accounts, Gypsy and Dee Dee were doing more than okay. The problem was, no one else in their family had any idea if they'd even made it out of Katrina alive. It had been two months since the hurricane, and there hadn't been any word from Dee Dee. Rod and Christy Blanchard, Gypsy's father and stepmother, were frantically searching for her and Gypsy. Finally, around October, Dee Dee called Kristi. She said they were in Missouri and were planning to stay there. That was certainly a surprise, but Rod was just relieved to hear they were safe. Still, that didn't mean Gypsy was out of the woods when it came to her health issues. After getting settled, Dee Dee took Gypsy to Mercy Hospital in Springfield, a larger city about 30 minutes from Aurora. There, they started seeing Dr. Robert Steele. Dee Dee smiled at the doctor apologetically, telling him that all of Gypsy's records had been destroyed by the hurricane. But she mentioned that shouldn't be a problem. She could answer all of his questions about Gypsy's health history. However, when Dee Dee mentioned gypsy's cancer, Dr. Steele asked about the specific diagnosis and what treatment Gypsy had received. Dee Dee couldn't say for sure. That was certainly odd. But after what they just experienced, Dr. Steele decided to cut Dee Dee some slack. Over the course of their many visits, he ran a bunch of tests to see if they could piece together the information, but everything came back completely normal. There was no sign of any cancer. Dr. Steele figured that was because Gypsy was in remission. He also examined Gypsy for signs of the muscular disorder that Dee Dee insisted that she had. Previously, Dee Dee was convinced it was muscular dystrophy, but now she thought it might be cerebral palsy. Other than the fact that Gypsy used a wheelchair, Dr. Steele couldn't find anything to suggest she had a problem with her muscles. She. He assumed he was missing something and referred Gypsy to a pediatric neurologist. That was how Dee Dee and Gypsy ended up in the office of Dr. Bernardo Flasterstein. He ordered complete MRIs of Gypsy's brain and spine. Once again, everything came back completely clear. There was no neurological reason for Gypsy to be immobile. In addition to the imaging, Dr. Flasterstein physically examined Gypsy's legs. The first thing he noticed was that she still had good muscle tone. That wasn't consistent with someone who hadn't walked in nine years. Like Dr. Steele, he didn't have an explanation. When he told Dee Dee his findings, she was not happy. In fact, she stormed out of his office with Gypsy in tow. Flasterstein was baffled. He thought he was giving her good news. After all, her daughter was healthy. Seeing Dede's reaction only solidified a suspicion he'd had all along. In 2007, after two years of seeing the Blanchards, Dr. Flasterstein wrote a letter for Gypsy's file. In it, he detailed his fear that Dee Dee was the one who was actually sick. His diagnosis? Munchausen by proxy. Munchausen by proxy is a condition in which a caregiver induces symptoms of an illness or illnesses in someone else to gain attention and sympathy. In other words, Dr. Flaster Scene thought Dee Dee was making everything up and that there was nothing wrong with Gypsy. He pointed to the fact that Dee Dee had answers to some questions, but not others. He also looked at the data. Why else would all of Gypsy's tests have come back normal? The problem is, Munchausen by proxy is extremely rare and difficult to prove. For some reason, Dr. Flasterstein didn't feel he had enough evidence to actually do anything about it. Because of that, he didn't report Dee Dee to any protective agencies. Even so, his letter remained in Gypsy's file, a file that Dee Dee regularly requested access to. That's probably why she abruptly stopped taking Gypsy to him. Him, as usual, Dee Dee simply found another physician. Sometime in 2007, Dee Dee brought Gypsy to an ear, nose, and throat doctor. This time, she was concerned that Gypsy drooled excessively. It's a common problem for those with cerebral palsy. Once again, Dee Dee blamed Hurricane Katrina for the lack of records. And this time, the doctors seemed to take her word for it. Gypsy had surgery to remove her salivary glands. The recovery was difficult. They sent her home with painkillers. But even after the bottle was finished, Gypsy's throat still hurt. She knew that Dee Dee had Vicodin. She'd been taking it ever since the car accident. So Gypsy snuck a couple out of the bottle. It made her feel so much better that she kept going back for more. Eventually, Dee Dee began to suspect what Gypsy was doing and confronted her. But if there was one thing Dee Dee taught Gypsy, it was how to lie. And that's exactly what Gypsy did. And we don't know whether Dee Dee believed her or not, but it seems like it didn't come up again. It's possible that Dee Dee was just too distracted to keep pressing the issue. Thanks to the local news features done on them, Gypsy and Dee Dee were working with a few charity organizations. And the benefits were rolling in. In 2008, Habitat for Humanity gave Dee Dee the keys to a brand new custom built home in Springfield. It was fully wheelchair accessible with a large ramp in the front and extra wide doorways. There was even a Jacuzzi tub to provide therapy for Gypsy's muscles. But it didn't stop there. Organizations like Make a Wish gave the pair all expense paid trips to Disneyland and Disney World. And they were the perfect opportunity to show off Gypsy's extensive collection of princess costumes. They even got to go backstage at a Miranda Lambert concert and meet the singer. It was all very fun and exciting, but none of it made Gypsy feel fulfilled. Although she had her mom, what Gypsy really wanted was friends. According to Dee Dee, she was 14 years old. Gypsy was desperate to connect with people her own age. But Dee Dee made that nearly impossible. Whenever they had company or were out in public, Dee Dee usually had her arm around Gypsy or was holding her hand. If Gypsy started to say something Dee Dee didn't like, she'd give a quick squeeze. It was her silent command to stop talking. Now, even when they weren't right next to each other, Dee Dee was always lurking somewhere nearby. Gypsy felt like she couldn't speak her mind at all. Not even about normal teenage stuff like having a boyfriend. So she turned to the one place her mother couldn't reach her. The Internet. In 2009, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society sent Gypsy a laptop for Christmas. When Dee Dee went to sleep at night, Gypsy would go online. She created a secret Facebook account and started messaging other kids in the neighborhood. She was desperate to become friends with some of the cool 17 and 18 year olds she'd seen around. Although Gypsy believed she was only 16, at this point, she'd always felt older. Before long, she realized why. That was. Sometime in 2011, Gypsy came across a copy of her Medicaid card. Something about it caught her eye. It said she was born in 1991. Gypsy realized that meant she was 19 going on 20, not 16 like her mother said. She was an adult. Gypsy was shocked and horrified. If Dee Dee had been lying to her about something as important as her age, what else was she keeping from her? It was a betrayal that Gypsy would never recover from. The cracks in their relationship were starting to form and they wouldn't stop until the glass house of Dee Dee's lies shattered completely. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy, and this is True Crime Stories. Come back on Thursday for part two on the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard and all the people it affected. True Crime Stories is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media, Rimehouse on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review and follow Murder True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference. And to enhance your Murder True Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode ad free and instead of having to wait for each episode of a two part series, you'll get access to both at once plus exciting bonus content. We'll be back on Thursday. True Crime Stories is hosted by me, Carter Roy and is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Murder True Crime Stories team Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Natalie Pertzofsky, Sarah Camp, Megan Hannam, Sarah Tartif and Russell Nash. Thank you for listening. Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong is perfect for spooky season. Dive into the real life events behind the world's most terrifying blockbusters. Beyond Twisted Tales is a Crime House original. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes out every Monday.