The conviction and death sentence for the Oklahoma death row prisoner Richard Glossip ought to be thrown away and a brand-new trial bought, the state’s brand-new chief law officer stated on Thursday, as assistance has actually grown even amongst death sentence advocates who state Glossip is innocent.
In a filing with the Oklahoma court of criminal appeals, the chief law officer, Gentner Drummond, stated that although the state is not recommending Glossip is innocent, the crucial witness versus Glossip lied to the jury about his psychiatric treatment and factors for taking the mood-stabilizing drug lithium.
That details was just recently divulged to Glossip’s defense group after Drummond turned over a box of proof, consisting mainly of district attorneys’ notes in the event, that Drummond’s predecessor, John O’Connor, had actually formerly designated as “work item”.
“After comprehensive and severe consideration, I have actually concluded that I can not support the murder conviction and death sentence of Richard Glossip,” Drummond stated in a declaration. “This is not to state I think he is innocent. It is important that Oklahomans have outright faith that the death charge is administered relatively and with certainty. Thinking about whatever I understand about this case, I do not think that justice is served by carrying out a guy based upon the statement of a jeopardized witness.”
Glossip, now 60, was founded guilty of the 1997 murder-for-hire killing of his manager, motel owner Barry Van Treese, at 2 different trials based mainly on the statement of his co-defendant, Justin Sneed. Sneed confessed robbing and eliminating Van Treese, however declares he just did so after Glossip accepted pay him $10,000. Sneed got a sentence of life in jail.
The Oklahoma court of criminal appeals need to choose whether to abandon Glossip’s conviction and order a brand-new trial. Glossip is arranged to be carried out on 18 May.
Glossip’s lawyer Don Knight stated in a declaration that Drummond’s filing mentions what he has actually long kept, which is that Sneed, the state’s crucial witness, is not reputable.
“It is now clear that it would be unconscionable for the state to move on with Mr Glossip’s execution when there is a lot doubt surrounding his conviction,” Knight stated.
Drummond’s movement begins the exact same day he launched the findings of an independent counsel’s evaluation of Glossip’s case. That report, carried out by previous district lawyer Rex Duncan, raised many issues about his conviction, consisting of unpredictability about whether a real polygraph examination was administered to Glossip, proof in the event that was ruined and a failure by the state to divulge specific details to Glossip’s lawyers.
“The state’s murder case versus Glossip was not especially strong and would have been, in my view, weaker if complete discovery had actually been supplied,” Duncan composed. “Given the passage of 26 years, death of witnesses, damage and loss of proof, and 2023 evidentiary disclosures, it is, in my view, less tenable today.”
A message left on Thursday with Van Treese’s household looking for remark was not instantly returned. Drummond stated he acknowledges the discomfort the household should be going through.
“My heart really heads out to the Van Treese household, who have actually been waiting years for a last step of justice,” Drummond stated.
Glossip’s case drew in global attention after the star Susan Sarandon– who won an Academy Award for her representation of the capital punishment challenger Sister