Ex-Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip pleads guilty to lesser charge in 1997 murder

Former Oklahoma death row prisoner Richard Glossip, who spent nearly 30 years incarcerated and was on the brink of execution three times for a 1997 murder, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, his attorney said Thursday.

Glossip had been sentenced to death over the killing in Oklahoma City of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese. Van Treese was beaten with a baseball bat in what prosecutors have alleged was a murder-for-hire scheme.

The U.S. Supreme Court previously threw out Glossip’s conviction, and he was released on bond in May to await retrial. His longstanding claims of innocence have drawn support from Kim Kardashian and other prominent figures.

Glossip pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of being an accessory, and the murder charge was dismissed, according to Don Knight, Glossip’s attorney. He said Glossip will be sentenced in December.