Former Oklahoma death row inmates strikes plea deal that could result no additional prison time

OKLAHOMA CITY – Former high-profile death row inmate Richard Glossip on Thursday pleaded guilty to accessory to murder, a move which could result in his freedom.

In exchange for the blind plea in which there is no agreement on sentencing, the state dropped a first-degree murder charge. Prosecutors had decided not to seek the death penalty for the third time.

Instead, it will be up to Judge Natalie Mai to determine Glossip’s sentence at a two-day hearing scheduled for Dec. 17 and 18 in Oklahoma County District Court.

Glossip’s attorney, Don Knight, said he could be released for time served. 

Glossip, 63, has maintained his innocence in a case which has attracted national attention and saw the U.S. Supreme Court intervene and toss his murder conviction in 2025. The nation’s high court ordered a new trial on the grounds that prosecutors had withheld evidence favorable to Glossip.

“We believe Rich has more than paid his debt to society by spending nearly 30 years on death row, during which time he was served three last meals, and came within minutes of being executed for a crime he did not commit,” Knight said.

Had Glossip been convicted in 1997 of accessory after the fact and given the longest possible sentence, he would not have been on death row and would have been released 10 years ago, Knight said.

“We look forward to an opportunity to show why returning him to custody would not serve the interests of justice, and to ending this nightmare for Rich and all concerned,” Knight said.

Glossip was tried twice and received the death penalty both times for the 1997 murder of motel owner Barry Van Treese, Glossip’s employer. 

Prosecutors allege Glossip paid Justin Sneed, who he hired to do repairs, to kill Van Treese to cover up an embezzlement scheme. Sneed testified against Glossip and received life without the possibility of parole.

“Today, Richard Glossip finally took some measure of responsibility for the murder of Barry Van Treese,” Drummond said. “While allowing Glossip to plead guilty to the lesser-related charge of accessory to first degree murder was a difficult decision for me and, more importantly, the Van Treese family, we both recognize that this path ensures a conviction related to Mr. Van Treese’s murder and gives us the best chance to secure additional prison time for Glossip.”

Drummond and the family are asking that the judge sentence him to the maximum 45 years in prison. 

In a rare move, Drummond in 2023 had advocated for clemency for Glossip, which was denied by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board.

Glossip has had nine execution dates.

On Thursday, he was out on bond awaiting his third trial, which will be avoided with Thursday’s action.

The Van Treese family said in a statement Thursday that it’s been 10,901 days since Van Treese was murdered. It was not an easy decision to allow Glossip to plead guilty to a lesser charge, but they want to put it to rest and give their family “at least some form of closure,” the statement said.

“We continue to firmly believe that, if not for Richard Glossip, we would have had many more years with Barry,” they said. “His children and grandchildren would have known the spark of life that he brought into a room, and that bit of joy that was stolen from all of us.”

They said they hope the judge gives him the maximum sentence.