Richard Glossip Denied In Latest Appeal To Save Life

The Court of Criminal Appeals Thursday denied Death Row inmate Richard Glossip's request for a new trial, and they also denied his request for a stay of execution.

Glossip is scheduled to die May 18.

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Glossip's attorneys had filed a motion in March for post-conviction relief, and Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a motion in support of that.

In the court’s opinion justices say Glossip’s attorneys have not presented sufficient information that would convince court to overturn the jury’s determination of guilt and that he should be sentenced to death. In addition, the Attorney General’s concession does not provide legal grounds for relief.

AG Drummond also asked the court to stay Glossip’s execution until August 2024 to give time for a special prosecutor to complete his report. However, since the special prosecutor report is complete, the court says there’s no need to stay the execution. Glossip’s execution date remains at May 18th.

Richard Glossip was convicted in the 1997 murder of Barry Van Treese, the owner of a motel in Oklahoma City. Glossip was the manager of the motel, fingered as the person who hired a man named Justin Sneed to beat Van Treese to death with a baseball bat.

Glossip has spent 26 years on Death Row. He has long maintained his innocence.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond released a statement following Glossip's denied requests:

"While I respect the Court of Criminal Appeals’ opinion, I am not willing to allow an execution to proceed despite so many doubts. Ensuring the integrity of the death penalty demands complete certainty. I will thoroughly review the ruling and consider what steps should be taken to ensure justice."

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.