The Missouri home where Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose Blanchard lived for years has been gaining unwanted attention as a tourist destination since Hulu’s dramatization of the case in the series The Act. Neighbors of the home in Springfield, Missouri, are complaining about disrespectful visitors.
As recalled in the series and documented extensively online, Gypsy Rose Blanchard was controlled and abused by her mother, Dee Dee, for most of her life. Dee Dee forced Gypsy to use a wheelchair and undergo unnecessary medical procedures, convincing doctors and others that Gypsy suffered from illnesses including leukemia and muscular dystrophy. In reality, Gypsy had none of the diseases Dee Dee claimed.
Neighbors complain of disruption
In 2015, Gypsy planned with her online boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn to murder Dee Dee. On the night of June 14th, Godejohn stabbed Dee Dee to death in her bedroom. Gypsy and Godejohn were both arrested and charged for their roles in the murder. Gypsy received a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to second-degree murder, while Godejohn was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Nearly a decade later, the small yellow house where this tragic story unfolded has become a destination for true crime enthusiasts. “Cars line the street taking pictures of the house at all hours,” one neighbor told TMZ. “It’s disruptive and disrespectful,” they added. Another neighbor said visitors have trespassed on their property to get closer views of the house.
The Homeowners Try to Maintain Privacy
The current homeowner told TMZ they had no intention of selling it as a tourist attraction and even installed security cameras around the perimeter. However, the interest in the property only seems to have grown since Gypsy’s release from prison last month.
Gypsy’s story has attracted widespread attention due to the extreme medical child abuse she endured and the complex factors that led to Dee Dee’s murder. A Hulu original movie titled The Act further dramatized these events and may be fueling increased intrigue in the physical location where much of the abuse took place. However, the disruption to the neighborhood shows true crime fandom can cross ethical lines.
For now, neighbors want their peace back
As one neighbor stated, “It’s disrespectful to the victims and an invasion of our privacy. We didn’t choose to live next to a murder house, we want our quiet neighborhood back.” (TMZ) The current homeowners are hoping increased security and the installation of a fence will help curb unwanted visitors to the property.
Only time will tell if publicity from Gypsy’s case will turn the home into a full-fledged tourist attraction, as has happened with other locations tied to high-profile crimes. For now, it remains a private residence where the real-life people still living nearby want peace, not disruption.
