Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R) took a massive step in favor of the state's highest-profile death row inmate, Richard Glossip, urging an appeals court to vacate his murder conviction.
Drummond requested the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals to vacate Glossip's conviction with recommendations in lockstep with an independent review of the inmate's case, according to a press release.
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The attorney general clarified the state is not saying Glossip is innocent of the charge that he orchestrated the 1997 death of his boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese.
“After thorough and serious deliberation, I have concluded that I cannot stand behind the murder conviction and death sentence of Richard Glossip,” Drummond said in a news release. “This is not to say I believe he is innocent. However, it is critical that Oklahomans have absolute faith that the death penalty is administered fairly and with certainty."
A motel maintenance worker, Justin Sneed, admitted to the killing but said he only did it because Glossip vowed to pay him $10,000. Sneed, who pled guilty to the murder, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The independent review of the case conducted by a Texas-based law firm raised significant doubt about Sneed's credibility as a witness in Glossip's trial.
Drummond appointed former prosecutor Rex Duncan to review the findings of Glossip's case in January. Duncan issued a 19-page report on Monday to Drummond's office with his findings.
During his 25 years on death row, Glossip's execution has been paused and resumed at least five times and he has been served his last meal at least three times.
Drummond also said he can't fathom the anxiety and sorrow the development in the case has caused the Van Treese family.
“My heart truly goes out to the Van Treese family, who have been waiting decades for a final measure of justice,” Drummond said. “The family and friends of Barry Van Treese have been in pain for 26 years, and what they have lost cannot be restored. I hope and pray that one day they will find peace.”
Interest in Glossip's case rose significantly following the February 2022 agreement by Stan Perry, an attorney with law firm Reed Smith, to conduct an independent review of his case.
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After Republican state Rep. Kevin McDugle read the review, he found "grave" concerns with Glossip's conviction. As a defender of the death penalty, he said he would highly reconsider his position if Glossip was ever put to death.
"I know right now they believe that he's guilty. And I would, too, but after what I've seen and that report, there's no way that Richard Glossip was guilty. There's no proof at all that proves that he's guilty," McDugle told the Washington Examiner in July.