Who is Richard Glossip? What Happened to Him?
by Rubaditsha
Updated May 06, 2023
Who is Richard Glossip?
Richard Eugene Glossip, an American prisoner born on February 9, 1963, is currently on death row in Oklahoma State Penitentiary for being found guilty of orchestrating the murder of Barry Van Treese in 1997. The actual killer, Justin Sneed, had a drug addiction and agreed to testify against Glossip in exchange for a plea bargain resulting in a life sentence without parole.
Glossip's conviction has garnered international attention due to the lack of substantial evidence against him, with his initial case being deemed "extremely weak" by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.
Glossip gained recognition as the named plaintiff in the 2015 Supreme Court case Glossip v. Gross, which upheld the use of a three-drug protocol for executions involving midazolam, pancuronium bromide, and potassium chloride as not being a violation of the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
In September and October of 2015, Glossip was granted three successive stays of execution as a result of concerns over Oklahoma's lethal injection drugs. This was due to the execution of Charles Frederick Warner on January 15, 2015, where potassium acetate was used instead of the correct potassium chloride, resulting in a protocol violation. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt ordered a grand jury investigation of the execution drug mix-up.
What Happened to Richard Glossip?
Richard Glossip, a death row inmate in Oklahoma, has been spared from execution multiple times since his conviction in 1998 for orchestrating the murder of his boss, Barry Van Treese. On Friday, May 5th, 2023, the US Supreme Court halted his execution again after Glossip had endured 26 years behind bars, nine execution dates, three last meals, and two independent investigations that raised serious doubts about his conviction.
The decision comes after two investigations had raised serious questions about the reliability of Glossip's conviction. An independent review “revealed the state’s intentional destruction of evidence before trial and an inadequate police investigation,” according to the law firm Reed Smith.
What Did Richard Glossip Do?
Richard Glossip was convicted of arranging for his employer, Barry Van Treese, to be murdered in 1997. Glossip was the manager of the Best Budget Inn in Oklahoma City, where Van Treese was the owner. The prosecution alleged that Glossip had hired a maintenance worker named Justin Sneed to kill Van Treese in exchange for money.
Sneed was initially arrested for the murder and implicated Glossip as the mastermind behind the plan. Glossip maintained his innocence throughout the trial and argued that Sneed had falsely implicated him in order to receive a reduced sentence. Despite the lack of physical evidence linking Glossip to the crime, he was convicted and sentenced to death.
Glossip's case gained national attention due to concerns about the reliability of Sneed's testimony and the lack of physical evidence linking Glossip to the murder. Several high-profile figures, including actress Susan Sarandon and Sister Helen Prejean (the author of "Dead Man Walking"), have spoken out in support of Glossip and called for a new trial.
In 2015, Glossip's execution was stayed just hours before he was scheduled to be put to death, after it was revealed that the state of Oklahoma had obtained the wrong drug for the lethal injection. Glossip's legal team has continued to fight for a new trial and to raise awareness about what they see as a wrongful conviction.
Richard Glossip Story
Richard Eugene Glossip is an American prisoner who is currently on death row at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. In 1997, he was convicted of commissioning the murder of Barry Van Treese. The man who murdered Van Treese, Justin Sneed, was 19 years old at the time of the crime and had a "meth habit."
Sneed agreed to plead guilty in exchange for testifying against Glossip, and he received a life sentence without parole. Glossip's case has attracted international attention due to the unusual nature of his conviction, namely that there was little or no corroborating evidence. The first case against him was described as "extremely weak" by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.
Glossip has maintained his innocence since his conviction, and there has been significant doubt surrounding his guilt. Several people have come forward to claim that Sneed actually acted alone in the murder, without any involvement from Glossip. Additionally, it has been suggested that Sneed may have received a reduced sentence in exchange for testifying against Glossip.
In 2015, Glossip was the named plaintiff in the Supreme Court case Glossip v. Gross, which ruled that executions carried out by a three-drug protocol of midazolam, pancuronium bromide, and potassium chloride did not constitute cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
In September and October of that same year, Glossip was granted three successive stays of execution due to questions about Oklahoma's lethal injection drugs after Oklahoma Department of Corrections officials used potassium acetate instead of potassium chloride to execute Charles Frederick Warner on January 15, 2015, contrary to protocol. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt ordered a multicounty grand jury investigation of the execution drug mix-up.
Overall, the case against Richard Glossip has been controversial and has raised questions about the criminal justice system and the use of the death penalty. Many advocates have called for a new trial or for Glossip's sentence to be commuted, given the doubt surrounding his guilt and the weaknesses in the evidence against him.
Who Is Richard Glossip - FAQs
Richard Eugene Glossip is an American prisoner who is currently on death row at Oklahoma State Penitentiary.
Richard Glossip was convicted of commissioning the 1997 murder of Barry Van Treese.
Justin Sneed committed the murder of Barry Van Treese. He had a "meth habit" and agreed to plead guilty in exchange for testifying against Glossip. Sneed received a life sentence without parole.
Richard Glossip's case has attracted international attention due to the unusual nature of his conviction, namely that there was little or no corroborating evidence, with the first case against him described as "extremely weak" by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.