Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced Monday the state would retry Richard Glossip on murder charges, after his conviction was tossed by the Supreme Court earlier this year.

“While it was clear to me and to the U.S. Supreme Court that Mr. Glossip did not receive a fair trial, I have never proclaimed his innocence,” Drummond said in a statement. “After the high court remanded the matter back to district court, my office thoroughly reviewed the merits of the case against Richard Glossip and concluded that sufficient evidence exists to secure a murder conviction.

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The high court had ruled there was prosecutorial misconduct in Glossip’s 2004 trial, and the justices overturned his conviction and death penalty sentence. The Supreme Court majority opinion ordered a new trial, and while Drummond said he would pursue one, he noted he would seek a life sentence rather than the death penalty this time.

“The same United States Constitution that guarantees our rights also ensures the rights of the accused. Unlike past prosecutors who allowed a key witness to lie on the stand, my office will make sure Mr. Glossip receives a fair trial based on hard facts, solid evidence and truthful testimony,” Drummond added.

The Supreme Court’s February decision, written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, specifically highlighted false testimony, which was not corrected, as a key reason why Glossip was entitled to a new trial. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson joined in the majority opinion.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the decision, arguing the false testimony did not affect the outcome of the trial and that much of the case to toss the conviction was based on new evidence not presented to the jury. Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the majority opinion in part and the dissent in part. Justice Neil Gorsuch recused himself from the case, after previously serving on the appeals court overseeing Oklahoma.

Glossip was charged for his alleged role in a 1997 murder-for-hire plot of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese. He has maintained his innocence despite the conviction. Drummond said he will go forward with retrying Glossip for the alleged crime and acknowledged the “pain and frustration” the decades-long legal saga has caused Van Treese’s family.

SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS RICHARD GLOSSIP CONVICTION, ORDERS NEW TRIAL

“The Van Treese family has endured grief, pain and frustration since the murder of their loved one, and my heart goes out to them,” Drummond said in a statement. “The poor judgment and previous misconduct of past prosecutors have only compounded that pain and frustration.”

“While I cannot go back 25 years and handle the case in the proper way that would have ensured true justice, I still have a duty to seek the justice that is available today,” Drummond added.