Richard Glossip, a 63-year-old Oklahoma man who spent nearly three decades on death row and came within moments of execution three separate times, has been granted bond while awaiting a new trial in the killing of his former boss, court records show.
Background
Glossip was first arrested in 1997 for the bludgeoning death of Barry Van Treese, who owned an Oklahoma City motel where Glossip worked. Van Treese was killed with a baseball bat. Another man, Justin Sneed, confessed to physically carrying out the killing but claimed Glossip paid him to do it. Sneed received a life sentence and served as the prosecution's key witness during Glossip's capital murder trial. Glossip maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration.
The Investigation
The validity of Sneed's testimony came under scrutiny in 2022, when Oklahoma authorities discovered evidence that he may have had a mental illness known to state prosecutors but never disclosed in court. That finding became the focus of a Supreme Court case, which determined that the prosecution's failure to correct Sneed's testimony violated Glossip's constitutional right to due process. In February 2025, the high court granted Glossip a new trial. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond subsequently announced the state would retry Glossip but seek life imprisonment rather than the death penalty.
Oklahoma County District Judge Natalie Mai set Glossip's bond at $500,000 in an order Thursday. The conditions include electronic monitoring, prohibition on travel outside Oklahoma, restrictions on communication with potential witnesses and a ban on alcohol or drug consumption.
"Mr. Glossip now has the chance to taste freedom while his defense team continues to pursue justice on his behalf against a system that the United States Supreme Court has found to be guilty of serious misconduct by state prosecutors," said Glossip's attorney, Donald Knight, in a statement to The Associated Press.
Key Takeaways
- Richard Glossip was sentenced to death twice for the 1997 killing of Barry Van Treese at an Oklahoma City motel
- He narrowly avoided execution three separate times over nearly 30 years; nine execution dates were scheduled total
- In one instance, correctional officers had already strapped him to a gurney and begun preparing his lethal injection before it was called off
- The Supreme Court ruled in February 2025 that prosecutors violated Glossip's due process rights by withholding evidence about key witness Justin Sneed's mental illness
- Oklahoma intends to retry Glossip for first-degree murder but will seek life imprisonment instead of death penalty
What's Next
Glossip must post the $500,000 bond and comply with all conditions before his release from custody. His defense team is expected to continue preparing for a new trial, while prosecutors with the Oklahoma Attorney General's office proceed with their case against him. The retrial date has not yet been set.
"We have been praying for this day," Glossip's wife told The Associated Press in a text message.