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How man who’s been on death row 25 years has escaped death four times
Featured Image Credit: Oklahoma Department of Corrections/ Investigation Discover

How man who’s been on death row 25 years has escaped death four times

Death row inmate Richard Glossip has skipped another execution date, making it his fourth time dodging death.

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck

Death row inmate Richard Glossip has skipped another execution date, making it his fourth time dodging death.

In 1998, Glossip was convicted of the murder of the boss of the Oklahoma motel he worked at, Barry Van Treese.

The 60-year-old is accused of ordering the motel's handyman Justin Sneed to kill Treese to cover up his alleged embezzlement - Sneed having come forward claiming he was paid $10,000 (£8,000) by Glossip to do it.

Sneed received a life sentence, but Glossip was sentenced to death - refusing to accept a plea deal and maintaining his innocence to this day, alleging Sneed acted alone.

Glossip's fourth execution attempt on 18 May, 2023 was halted and a new trial has been requested byOklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. But how has Glossip managed to escape the lethal injection four times during his 25 years behind bars?

Richard Glossip has been on death row for 25 years.
Facebook/ Save Richard Glossip

Glossip dodged death for the first time in 2001 when his conviction was overturned and he was granted a retrial.

In 2004, Glossip was convicted and sentenced to death for the second time, however his 2015 execution date was postponed as a result of the wrong lethal drug being obtained by prison officials.

The third time occurred just three-and-a-half hours before Glossip was set to die, after a stay of execution took place in 2019, partly as a result of Oklahoma's lethal injection protocols being reviewed.

Glossip has eaten three 'last meals' since being imprisoned.

Glossip's family and friends reflected on his fourth time dodging death on social media.
Facebook/ Save Richard Glossip

Glossip's latest - and fourth - execution date, set for 18 May, was also overturned after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a motion to the US Supreme Court arguing the death row inmate hasn't received a fair trial.

Glossip's conviction relied almost solely on Sneed's testimony, with no physical evidence linking Glossip to the murder.

Last year, a report revealed prosecutors at Glossip's 2004 re-trial failed to disclose Sneed was receiving psychiatrist support.

Law firm Reed Smith and the Innocent Project also accused a detective of attempting to implicate Glossip by asking particular questions of Sneed as well as alleging the report revealed financial records were destroyed in the period between Glossip's conviction and retrial.

"Sneed only claimed Mr. Glossip hired him to do the crime after detectives suggested Mr. Glossip’s name to him six times," the report states.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond has requested a new trial take place.
Office of Oklahoma Attorney General

Glossip's sentence has since been put on hold while the conviction is re-investigated by Att Gen Drummond.

Reed Smith lawyer, Stan Perry, said, as per Sky News: "Our conclusion is that no reasonable juror, hearing the complete record, and the uncovered facts... would have convicted Richard Glossip of capital murder."

Topics: US News, Crime, True crime

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.