Gypsy Blanchard sobs in court as judge moves case toward trial

Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson read aloud haunting messages that he said were sent from Gypsy Blanchard to Nicholas Godejohn, both charged with murder.

“We are doing this tonight.”

“You may not need to put on the gloves because we will sink it so it’s never found.”

A judge ruled Friday afternoon that those texts, along with other evidence, were enough to move Gypsy’s case toward trial as Gypsy herself sat silently wiping tears from her face with shackled hands for most of the preliminary hearing’s three hours.

The state’s case — which aims to prove that Gypsy asked her boyfriend, Godejohn, to kill Gypsy’s mother, Clauddinnea “Dee Dee” Blanchard — began with two separate witnesses from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office testifying to their involvement in the investigation into Clauddinnea’s death.

Jim Stanley, a supervision sergeant with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, described his entry into the Blanchards’ home and the eventual discovery of Clauddinnea’s body.

As Stanley sat at the witness stand, the shuffling of crime scene photos the only noise in the courtroom, Gypsy rocked back and forth in her chair, staring straight ahead.

Prosecutors showed a series of the photos of the crime scene. They asked the deputy to describe the more gruesome ones.

Stanley then described aloud a series of photos taken of Clauddinnea’s body, face down in a pool of black, dried blood. The “numerous” stab wounds to her body, a “deep cutting mark” on the back of her neck.

Patterson asked Stanley if he had checked Clauddinnea for vital signs upon finding her.

“No respiration?” Gypsy began crying softly. “No pulse?” Gypsy’s head sank.

Then, Stanley finally said it. “She was deceased.” Gypsy began visibly shaking as she sobbed.

Stanley also noted the discovery of an envelope at Godejohn’s residence in Wisconsin containing an 11-inch knife and bloody blue latex gloves.

In his cross-examination of the witness, Michael Stanfield, Gyspy’s public defender, noted that “Volunteer” — the name of the street where Gypsy has lived for years — was misspelled on the envelope.

Stan Hancock, a criminal investigation division detective, discussed the contents of a backpack and suitcase found in Godejohn’s residence, as well as eight pages of Facebook records.

Stanfield and Patterson dueled over the validity of the Facebook records for sometime, although they were eventually accepted as evidence. They refer to Blanchard being packed and ready for a trip.

In his cross-examination, Stanfield asked if Hancock had found any records specifically showing Blanchard asking Godejohn to kill her mother. Hancock stated he had, but did not want to say anything without exact wording.

The last witness, Michael Costello, was a computer forensic examiner for the Springfield Police Department. Patterson submitted a series of text messages that Costello had pulled from phones he said believed to belong to Gypsy and Godejohn.

Some of the text messages Patterson read aloud, which he said were from Gypsy to Godejohn:

• “I will text you. We are doing this tonight.”

• “Will you need an anxiety med to calm you after?”

• “You may not need to put on the gloves because we will sink it so it’s never found.”

Several messages that Patterson said were from Godejohn to Gypsy:

• “Honey, you forget I am ruthless, and my hatred of her will force her to die.”

• “It’s my evil side doing it. He won’t mess up, because he enjoys killing.”

Stanfield did not cross-examine Costello, and shortly after, Judge Ronald Carrier ruled there was enough evidence to move the case forward, closer to a trial. An arraignment was set for July 31.

One particular message read by Patterson stood out near the end of the hearing, one he said was from Gyspy to Godejohn.

“We will be happy soon. After this night, we will never bring it up.”