ABC's "20/20" recently featured an interview with a Chackbay native convicted of the 2015 murder of her mother, who had falsely claimed the defendant suffered from severe physical and mental disabilities.
Gypsy Blanchard, 26, pleaded guilty July 5, 2016, to the second-degree murder of Clauddinnea "Dee Dee" Blanchard, 48, in Springfield, Mo. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Her former boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, 28, of Big Bend, Wis., is charged with first-degree murder. He is set for trial Nov. 13.
The "20/20" episode, which includes interviews with both defendants, aired Friday. It's available at abc.go.com/shows/2020.
In 2001, Dee Dee Blanchard told The Courier and Daily Comet her daughter was vision- and hearing-impaired, couldn't walk, used a feeding tube and had brain damage from seizures. However, none of that was true.
According to the Greene County (Mo.) Sheriff's Office, friends and neighbors reported the Blanchards missing June 14, 2015. That same day, two posts about Dee Dee Blanchard's death were sent from a Facebook account she and her daughter shared.
The suspects were arrested June 16, 2015, in Wisconsin after a brief standoff.
Authorities said Gypsy Blanchard was in the home when Godejohn stabbed her mother to death. They said she knew what was going to happen but didn't try to stop or report it.
Godejohn told investigators he killed Dee Dee Blanchard because her daughter asked him to, authorities said.
Gypsy Blanchard often stayed at Children's Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House in New Orleans. She spent a weekend with the casts of "Xena: Warrior Princess" and "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" during a fan convention and served as honorary queen for the Krewe of Mid-City parade in New Orleans.
The Blanchards also received a Habitat for Humanity home in Springfield after they claimed to be refugees from Hurricane Katrina.
An HBO documentary on the case debuted in May, and a segment aired on "Dr. Phil" in November.
The "20/20" episode also features interviews with Gypsy Blanchard's father, friends, attorney and former doctor.
-- Staff Writer Bridget Mire can be reached at 448-7639 or bridget.mire@dailycomet.com. Follow her on Twitter @bridget_mire.