Richard Glossip: Death row inmate who faced nine execution dates loses appeal

A death row prisoner who has faced nine execution dates - and has eaten three "final" meals - has failed to win clemency by the narrowest of margins.

Richard Glossip is now due to be put to death by lethal injection on May 18.

Glossip, who has become one of America's most high-profile death row inmates because of doubts about his murder conviction, spoke at a meeting of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, which has the power to recommend the death sentence be commuted to life in jail.

There are normally five members of the panel, but one member recused himself.  

The vote of those remaining split 2-2, which is not enough to overturn the original sentence.

Glossip was convicted of a murder-for-hire plot in which motel owner Barry Van Treese was beaten to death in 1997.  

The teenager who carried out the killing implicated Glossip during police interviews, and he was offered a plea deal.  

In return for his testimony, Justin Sneed escaped the death penalty. Glossip was convicted of murder and sentenced to die in two trials, the most recent in 2004.

He should have been executed in 2015, but while he was being prepped to be taken into the death chamber, prison officials discovered they'd been given the wrong drug to use in the lethal injection.  

The furore led to all executions in Oklahoma being halted for seven years.

But in recent months, fears that he was the victim of a miscarriage of injustice have intensified.  

Dozens of lawmakers, most of them Republicans who are in favour of the death penalty, supported Glossip's appeal of innocence.  

Independent lawyers were commissioned to investigate and concluded that no jury would have convicted if shown the evidence in full.

Subsequently, Oklahoma's Attorney General ordered his own inquiry and released evidence that prosecutors had previously withheld from the defence.  

It showed crucial evidence had been destroyed before his second trial and subsequent appeals.

Gentner Drummond concluded it would be a “grave injustice” to go through with Richard Glossip’s scheduled execution and concluded the conviction should be vacated and he is granted a new trial.

“For there to be public faith in our criminal justice system, it is incumbent on me as the State’s chief law enforcement officer to not ignore evidence and facts.”

In a highly unusual move, Drummond gave evidence to the parole hearing supporting the inmate's bid for clemency.  

He told the panel it was never too late to do the right thing before an execution.

He added that, although he believed Glossip might be guilty of murder or being an accessory, he did not believe guilt had been proved beyond reasonable doubt.

Glossip's attorneys and his wife Lea also gave evidence. The couple were married in prison in 2021.

But the panel may have been swayed by emotional testimony from members of the family of the murder victim Barry Van Treese, who said Glossip was "a habitual liar".

His son Derek told the hearing: "All due diligence has been served. Enough is enough, the time is now." He begged them to deny clemency.

Glossip himself spoke briefly via video link and wearing handcuffs from Oklahoma State Penitentiary.

He read a prepared statement apologising to the Van Treese family for the loss but again insisted he was innocent.

"I'm not a murderer and I don't deserve to die for this," he said.

There were gasps when the four members announced how they were voting, and that clemency had been denied.

There will still be pressure for Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt to postpone the execution while Glossip's attorneys try to persuade a court to act on the Attorney General's request for a new trial.

Glossip's attorney Don Knight issued a statement saying: "We call on Governor Stitt to grant a reprieve of Richard Glossip’s scheduled execution because the execution of an innocent man would be an irreversible injustice.

"We will pursue every avenue in the courts to stop this unlawful judicial execution.

"The public support for Mr Glossip is diverse, widespread, and growing, including at least 45 death penalty-supporting Republicans in the Legislature who also reached the conclusion that there is too much doubt to execute Mr Glossip.

"It would be a travesty for Oklahoma to move forward with the execution of an innocent man.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.