OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Greater than 30 Oklahoma lawmakers are calling for an impartial investigator to look into some of the well-known homicide convictions in latest historical past.
Richard Glossip was sentenced to demise for the 1997 homicide of his boss, Barry Van Treese.
Nonetheless, officers say they’ve at all times identified that Glossip was not the person who truly dedicated the crime. As an alternative, prosecutors say that Glossip was the one who employed the convicted killer.
A co-worker of Glossip, Justin Sneed, admitted to beating the motel supervisor to demise with a bat. He claimed that Glossip gave him cash to kill their boss.
In alternate for his testimony towards Glossip, Sneed was sentenced to life with out the opportunity of parole.
For greater than 20 years, Glossip has maintained his innocence.
Now, greater than 30 bipartisan Oklahoma lawmakers are calling on Gov. Kevin Stitt to become involved within the case.
On Wednesday, the group despatched a letter, requesting an impartial investigation into Van Treese’s demise earlier than any execution date will be set for Glossip
“Primarily based on newly found proof, it seems that Mr. Glossip could also be harmless of this crime,” the letter states.
The letter says that compelling new witness statements and skilled stories carry the prosecution’s case into query.
“We don’t strategy this request evenly. We admire how troublesome selections like this are and know the way significantly you’re taking them. A lot of those that have signed this letter help the demise penalty however, as such, we now have an ethical obligation to ensure the State of Oklahoma by no means executes an individual for against the law he didn’t commit,” the letter states.
“Killing Richard Glossip with out certainty of his guilt will erode public belief, not solely in capital punishment, however within the integrity and equity of all the Oklahoma felony justice system,” it went on to learn.
