Richard Glossip Pleads Guilty to Accessory Charge to Resolve Case

Richard Glossip pleaded guilty to an accessory charge on Thursday, resolving a legal battle that spanned nearly three decades on death row.

The plea agreement effectively dismisses the murder charge against the former Oklahoma death row prisoner, KIRO 7 News Seattle reported. Glossip, who spent 29 years facing execution for the 1997 killing of motel owner Barry Van Treese, will face sentencing in December. Depending on the court’s decision, he could be released or returned to prison for up to 15 years.

The resolution changes the direction of a case that captivated the legal community and drew international attention from figures like Susan Sarandon. While Glossip has maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration, the plea requires him to acknowledge specific allegations regarding his involvement in the aftermath of the crime.

Richard Glossip pleads guilty to accessory charge; see his statement — The Oklahoman

“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,” said Don Knight, Glossip’s attorney.

The terms of the plea agreement

By accepting the lesser accessory charge, Glossip acknowledges that he helped place plexiglass over a broken window at the motel and witnessed Van Treese’s body. He also admitted that he did not report to police that Justin Sneed had killed the motel owner, KIRO 7 News Seattle reported.

Richard Glossip Pleads Guilty to Accessory Charge to Resolve Case

Despite these admissions, Knight emphasized that Glossip had no part in the actual violence.

“He had nothing to do with the murder, none of the planning, or carrying it out,” Knight said.

The prosecution’s case originally relied on the testimony of Justin Sneed, who admitted to robbing and killing Van Treese with a baseball bat. Sneed testified that he committed the act after Glossip promised to pay him $10,000. Sneed was sentenced to life in prison.

Richard Glossip pleads guilty to accessory to murder in 1997 case — KOKH – FOX 25

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who had previously indicated the state would seek a retrial on the murder charge, noted the difficulty of the decision to accept the plea. Drummond said that the move was intended to secure a conviction and maximize prison time for Glossip.

“Accepting the plea to a lesser charge was a difficult decision for me and, more importantly, the Van Treese family,” Drummond said. “We both recognize that this path ensures a conviction related to Mr. Van Treese’s killing and gives us the best chance to secure additional prison time for Glossip.”

Richard Glossip pleads guilty to accessory to first-degree murder in connection with 1997 killing — KOCO 5 News

Decades of near-executions

The legal saga is defined by a series of narrow escapes from the death penalty. Courts in Oklahoma scheduled nine different execution dates for Glossip over the years. On several occasions, he was so close to death that he was served his final meal.

In 2015, the tension reached a peak when Glossip was held in a cell directly adjacent to Oklahoma’s execution chamber. He was prepared to be strapped to a gurney for lethal injection, but the procedure was halted when officials discovered a discrepancy in the lethal drugs provided for the protocol. This error triggered a nearly seven-year moratorium on executions across the state.

Richard Glossip Bond Hearing — KOKH – FOX 25

The highest court in the country also intervened in the case. The U.S. Supreme Court had previously overturned Glossip’s conviction, leading to his release on bond in May to await a retrial.

While Glossip’s supporters, including high-profile figures like Kim Kardashian, have championed his claims of innocence, the Van Treese family had previously petitioned the Supreme Court to keep his original death sentence intact.

The legal proceedings are scheduled to continue this December during the sentencing hearing.