SO FAR, KIM KARDASHIAN'S PLEAS HAVE FALLEN ON DEAF EARS

Richard Glossip: Oklahoma death row inmate who murdered his boss denied clemency in 'botched investigation'

 

By Jenny Anna Mathew 

 

meaww 
April 26, 2023

 

 

Glossip is currently scheduled for his ninth execution date by lethal injection on May 18, 2023  

 

MCALESTER, OKLAHOMA: Richard Glossip, a long-time death row inmate, was denied clemency by Oklahoma's state parole board on Wednesday, April 26, despite the state attorney general stating the prisoner did not receive a fair trial. Glossip's case has been marked by controversy and allegations of a "botched investigation" into the murder of his boss.

 

Following the 2-to-2 vote by the Oklahoma state parole board, the final decision on his execution now rests with either Oklahoma's Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, or the Supreme Court, where he has filed for an appeal. Glossip is currently scheduled for his ninth execution date on May 18, by lethal injection. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and a majority of fellow Republicans in the state legislature have expressed their opposition to the execution of Glossip and have called for a new trial to be conducted. The attorney general previously said, “I have concluded that I cannot stand behind the murder conviction and death sentence of Richard Glossip.”

Who is Richard Glossip?

Glossip, born on February 9, 1963, is an American prisoner currently on death row for 24 years at Oklahoma State Penitentiary. Glossip was convicted of hiring Justin Sneed as a hitman to kill his boss Barry Van Treese in 1997. Sneed received a life sentence without parole in exchange for testifying against him. Although Glossip has always maintained his innocence and his case has attracted international attention due to the unusual nature of his conviction, which lacked significant corroborating evidence.

What crime was Richard Glossip convicted of?

Barry Van Treese, the owner of Best Budget Inn in Oklahoma City, was beaten to death with a baseball bat on January 7, 1997. The perpetrator was Sneed, who worked as a maintenance man at the motel. Sneed confessed to the murder and claimed that Glossip, the manager of the motel had hired him to do it. Sneed received a life sentence without parole instead of the death penalty. Glossip, on the other hand, maintained his innocence but was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 2004.

During Wednesday's appeal, Glossip pleaded his innocence saying, "I'm not a murderer and I don't deserve to die for this." The case has garnered attention from celebrities, including reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who urged her millions of followers to contact the parole board and Governor Stitt in an attempt to halt the execution.

Why was Richard Glossip's appeal denied?

Last week, an appeal made by Glossip for a new trial was turned down by a court in Oklahoma. “This case has been thoroughly investigated and reviewed in numerous appeals,” the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals wrote in its ruling. “His new application provides no additional information which would cause this Court to vacate his conviction or sentence,” as per Independent. 

Subsequently, critics of the case argue that the evidence linking Glossip to the crime is flimsy and lacks credibility. In 2022, law firm Reed Smith was asked by state lawmakers to reinvestigate the case against Glossip. A team of 30 attorneys was hired to examine over 12,000 documents and concluded that the suspect's case was ultimately flawed. “Our conclusion is that no reasonable juror, hearing the complete record, and the uncovered facts ... would have convicted Richard Glossip of capital murder,” said Reed Smith attorney Stan Perry. Lawyers for Glossip criticized the parole board’s vote saying, “It was a devastating ruling by the court. I think, you know, when the attorney general of the state of Oklahoma says that he thinks that this witness makes material misstatements, that’s now undisputed,” Glossip’s attorney, Don Knight, told KOCO.