By Darla Shelden, Metropolis Sentinel Reporter –
OKLAHOMA CITY – Don Knight, legal professional for Oklahoma dying row prisoner Richard Glossip, spoke for greater than half an hour Wednesday (June 16) throughout a press convention on the State Capitol. He asserted that there’s proof that proves his consumer is harmless. Glossip, 58, has no prior legal historical past, and has been on Oklahoma’s dying row since 1998.
The occasion was hosted by State Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Damaged Arrow, who additionally spoke on behalf of Glossip’s innocence.
McDugle despatched a letter to Gov. Kevin Stitt and the Pardon and Parole Board asking for a evaluate of Glossip’s case. The bipartisan letter was signed by 34 Oklahoma legislators, 28 Republicans and 6 Democrats.
“New proof from 29 witnesses and consultants casts severe doubt on the integrity of Glossip’s conviction, the press launch states. “The case has taken on a brand new urgency as executions in Oklahoma might resume throughout the subsequent few months.”
Knight and McDugle have requested a third-party investigation into the case.
Glossip was convicted of what prosecutors referred to as a “homicide for rent” 1997 beating dying of motel proprietor Barry Van Treese in Oklahoma Metropolis.
The admitted killer, Justin Sneed, a co-worker of Glossip, averted the dying penalty and obtained a sentence of life with out parole by confessing to the homicide of Van Treese, in trade for testifying in opposition to Glossip.
Knight is a widely known Colorado legal professional who focuses on capital punishment instances. He introduced a doc he and two different Glossip advocates, Kathleen Lord and Mark Olive, name the “eight is sufficient” causes to doubt Glossip’s guilt. The doc contends there have been at the least eight very totally different tales instructed by Sneed.
“I can let you know from a political standpoint there’s nothing to realize if you get entangled in one thing like this, and the one purpose I’m right here is as a result of I do consider, personally, that we have now an harmless man on dying row,” mentioned McDugle.
“We did an intensive investigation on this case,” Knight said. “We interviewed greater than 190 folks on this case. We consulted greater than 15 professional witnesses, forensic pathologists, serologists, forensic accountants, polygraph consultants, FBI and crime scene consultants.”
McDugle is a supporter of Oklahoma’s dying penalty, however after reviewing new proof he now believes Glossip’s case wants a more in-depth evaluate.
In an Op Ed to the TulsaWorld, Rep. McDugle said, “Both we get the dying penalty proper, or we don’t do it.’
An article by Maurice Chammah and Keri Blakinger for The Marshall Challenge states: “A couple of years in the past, conservative enterprise proprietor Justin Jackson watched ‘Killing Richard Glossip,’ a four-part collection on Investigation Discovery… and couldn’t cease excited about it. Jackson is mates with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, and whereas the 2 had been searching deer, he voiced his considerations. Finally, Jackson cold-called Glossip’s lawyer and supplied his assist, and he began speaking concerning the case to mates within the legislature, together with McDugle.”
Final week, a gaggle of 16 Oklahoma legislators, largely Republican, traveled to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester to study extra concerning the case. Whereas there, a few of the representatives met with Glossip on Oklahoma’s underground dying row.
Rep. Justin Humphrey (R-Lane) Chair of the Home Public Security Fee, one of many lawmakers who met with Glossip and who has signed the letter calling for an investigation into his case, has 30 years of legislation enforcement expertise.
Humphrey mentioned: “I assist the dying penalty however provided that we all know for sure that the individual is responsible of the crime. Earlier than we stick a poison needle in Wealthy Glossip’s arm, I consider certified folks want to check out the brand new proof and his complete case. Wealthy’s attorneys confirmed us every little thing they’ve and allow us to ask any questions we wished. If the prosecutors are assured of their case, then they should lay their playing cards on the desk and allow us to have a look. That’s all we’re asking.”
McDugle, lead creator of the letter, said, “Twenty-nine new witnesses and consultants have signed sworn affidavits and are able to testify that there are severe issues with varied points of the prosecution’s case.
“A few of these witnesses inform us Sneed framed Wealthy Glossip with a purpose to keep away from the dying penalty himself. It seems very potential that an harmless man has been on dying row for greater than twenty years. We urge the Governor and Pardon and Parole Board to permit for an intensive investigation into this complete case. Oklahoma can’t be within the enterprise of killing harmless folks.”
The press launch states: Glossip’s conviction was based mostly totally on statements made by Sneed that he was employed by Glossip to kill Van Treese. There was no DNA, no fingerprints, and no eyewitnesses implicating Glossip. It was simply the admitted killer’s story in opposition to Glossip’s. Sneed’s story modified on key factors at the least eight occasions.
Knight has repeatedly requested information from Oklahoma County District Legal professional David Prater that he believes might maintain necessary proof to proving Glossip’s innocence. In January of this 12 months, Knight wrote a 41-page letter to Prater detailing his request. There was no response to this point.
New proof uncovered by Glossip’s authorized workforce establishes that the killing was a botched theft carried out by Sneed and a feminine confederate and that Glossip was by no means concerned.
Glossip has exhausted his appeals and was denied clemency in 2014. Nevertheless, Knight mentioned “due to the delays within the case, the pardon and parole board will hear Glossip’s clemency petition as soon as an execution date is about,” reported Perris Jones of KOCO Information.
If a brand new investigation proves Glossip is harmless, the Pardon and Parole board would then must advocate clemency for Glossip. The ultimate resolution could be made by Gov. Stitt.
An announcement from the Oklahoma Legal professional Basic’s Workplace said partially, “Glossip had his day in courtroom. Two juries of his friends have spoken.”
Oklahoma County District Legal professional David Prater responded in a press release saying, “I depend on the authorized course of to sanitize the venomous accusations made in opposition to me. I’m assured that the rule of legislation will once more rule the day and not one of the falsehoods and lies will survive”
Final fall a legislative interim research led by McDugle underscored a number of considerations concerning the dying penalty in Oklahoma. Nevertheless, supporters of the dying penalty burdened an intention to, eventually, resume state-managed executions.
Throughout that occasion, McDugle declared that Richard Glossip, one of many state’s most distinguished dying row inmates, is definitely harmless. Knight testified at that listening to on a few of the new info his workforce has uncovered.
Knight instructed the Interim Research panel, “We discovered individuals who had in depth information of Sneed’s intravenous methamphetamine use.”
Knight, who has labored on the case professional bono, indicated that many witnesses are prepared to testify that Sneed was a determined intravenous methamphetamine person prepared to commerce something he had for entry to medication and girls.
In the course of the course of Glossip’s case, Knight says prosecutors have destroyed proof, intimidated and even arrested witnesses.
Knight was first launched to the Glossip case by his longtime pal Sister Helen Prejean, creator of Useless Man Strolling, a famous anti-death penalty advocate, and Glossip’s religious advisor.
“What is gorgeous about as we speak is that it’s Republicans and professional dying penalty individuals who now have so many doubts and questions on Richard’s case,” Prejean mentioned. “We at present have 185 wrongfully convicted folks within the US which have been fortunate sufficient to get off of dying row. We nearly killed them. For each 9 folks we execute on this nation we needed to let 1 go as a result of we made one other mistake as a result of the reality didn’t come out within the courts. The jury didn’t hear all of the information. And the jury didn’t hear all of the eight variations that Justin Sneed gave.
“The actual fact is there are such a lot of questions on Richard’s case and whether or not Justin Sneed instructed the reality. I need to reward the politicians for talking out,” Prejean added. “You might be for the dying penalty, in concept, but it surely reveals how sturdy and principled politicians might be. They increase questions, come out publicly, and write letters to the Governor. We want extra politicians like that.”
Glossip has endured three scheduled executions, the final of which, on Sept. 30, 2015, was not postponed till 45 minutes after he was scheduled to die. The errors made by the state in that botched execution has led to a moratorium that has continued into this 12 months.
Knight said in his January correspondence to Prater, “If you’re assured in your proof and it’s unassailable, appropriately to assist the execution of a citizen of Oklahoma, there’s nothing to be gained from refusing to disclose it now. I’m occupied with getting these things and in the event that they haven’t received it, then it’s time to begin speaking about letting Wealthy go.
“I’m grateful to Representatives McDugle and Humphrey for giving us the chance to make use of Wealthy’s case to focus on the intense issues that develop from protection attorneys who fail to do even essentially the most fundamental work on behalf of their shoppers, and the way the appeals are usually not designed to treatment these issues,” Knight mentioned.
“I’m grateful to Consultant McDugle for giving us the chance to make use of Wealthy’s case to focus on the intense issues that develop from protection attorneys who fail to do even essentially the most fundamental work on behalf of their shoppers, and the way the appeals are usually not designed to treatment these issues,” Knight mentioned.
“This letter, signed by nearly 1 / 4 of all legislators in Oklahoma, speaks to the excessive worth all Oklahomans place on justice and morality,” Knight instructed The Metropolis Sentinel. “It’s clear that Oklahomans haven’t any need to kill an harmless man. We’re hopeful that an impartial legislation agency can be appointed to take a look at our proof, and we invite Mr. Prater’s workplace to hitch on this request and provides that agency entry to all they’ve. If Mr. Prater is for certain of his proof, he should not have any hassle doing so. We’re satisfied that every one the proof within the case, when checked out independently, will affirm what we already know. That Mr. Glossip is harmless of any involvement on this homicide. We are going to proceed to organize for Mr. Glossip’s clemency listening to and discover different avenues that may divulge heart’s contents to spare Mr. Glossip, the Van Treese household, and the residents of Oklahoma the deep ache and justifiable outcry of setting one other execution date for this harmless man.”
For extra info, go to SaveRichardGlossip.com.
Signing McDugle’s letter to Gov. Stitt had been:
Oklahoma State Representatives:
Garry Mize (R-Guthrie)
Mickey Dollens (D-Oklahoma Metropolis)
Denise Brewer (D-Tulsa)
Collin Walke (D-Oklahoma Metropolis)
Preston Stinson (R-Edmond)
John Waldron (D-Tulsa)
Jeff Boatman (R-Tulsa)
Emily Virgin (D-Norman)
John Talley (R-Stillwater)
Tammy Townley (R-Ardmore)
Brian Hill (R-Mustang)
Gerrid Kendrix (R-Altus)
Rusty Cornwell (R-Vinita)
Jay Steagall (R-Yukon)
Dick Lowe (R-Amber)
JJ Humphrey (R-Lane)
Kenton Pakowsky (R-Balko)
Wendi Stearman (R-Collinsville)
Stan Might (R-Damaged Arrow)
Eddie Dempsey (R-Valliant)
Ken Lurell (R-Ponca Metropolis)
Marilyn Stark (R-Bethany)
Max Wolfley (R-Oklahoma Metropolis)
Kevin McDugle (R-Damaged Arrow)
Ty Burns (R-Perry)
Monroe Nichols (D-Tulsa)
Randy Randleman (R-Eufaula)
Dell Kerbs (R-Shawnee)
Oklahoma State Senators:
Shane Jett (R-Shawnee)
Nathan Dahm (R-Damaged Arrow)
Blake “Cowboy” Stephens (R-Tahlequah)
David Bullard (R-Durant)
Rob Standridge (R-Norman)
Warren Hamilton (R-McCurtain)
