Oklahoma Court Of Criminal Appeals Denies Evidentiary Hearing For Richard Glossip

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has denied the first of two applications Thursday for an evidentiary hearing to consider new evidence for death row inmate Richard Glossip.

Glossip’s attorney, Don Knight, has released the following statement in response: “This is a very difficult decision to understand. The evidence of Rich’s innocence, and the State’s misconduct, is overwhelming and deserving of, at the very minimum, a fair hearing where we can present our evidence. This is all we have ever asked for and is something that, obviously, the State is desperate to see never happen. We still have another petition pending with the Court setting forth Sneed’s desire to recant his testimony against Rich and, most shockingly, documenting the prosecutor’s serious misconduct in coaching Sneed to change his testimony in the middle of trial. Our fight to free this innocent man will continue, and we remain optimistic that truth and justice will prevail, both for Rich and the citizens of Oklahoma.”

Glossip has been convicted twice for ordering the 1997 murder of Barry Van Treese.

Lawyers for Glossip said the new information they presented to the court shows Glossip is innocent.

Two different juries said Glossip killed Treese alongside Justin Sneed.

Glossip is awaiting execution, while Sneed is serving life in prison after he testified against Glossip.

Glossip was set to be executed in Nov., but Gov. Kevin Stitt ordered the execution to get pushed back to February.