Richard Glossip is a death row inmate in Oklahoma and his case has been receiving national attention in recent years. On Thursday, an Oklahoma appeals court upheld his murder conviction, despite numerous investigations finding the case against him severely lacking (“Oklahoma court upholds Richard Glossip’s murder conviction,” AP News).
The case against Glossip centers around the murder of his boss in 1997. Glossip was convicted of ordering the murder and although he has always maintained his innocence, he has lost multiple appeals and is currently scheduled for execution on May 18th (“Death row inmate Richard Glossip is denied another bid to vacate murder conviction, execution set for May 18,” CNN).
Many people have expressed concern about the validity of Glossip’s conviction, with some even saying that he is almost certainly an innocent man (“Richard Glossip’s execution: A court imposed it against the wishes of prosecutors,” Slate Magazine). Despite this, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has refused to overturn his conviction, even after multiple investigations found that the evidence against him was compromised (“Oklahoma Court: We Want Richard Glossip Dead and Evidence Be Damned,” The Intercept).
Glossip’s case has become a symbol for many of the flaws in the American justice system and the use of capital punishment. Some have pointed out that he did not even physically commit the murder, but rather was convicted of orchestrating it (“Oklahoma Is Hell Bent on Executing Richard Glossip Despite Compromised Witnesses,” Esquire).
Despite the national attention and calls for his case to be re-examined, Glossip has consistently lost his appeals and is now facing execution in just over a month (“Richard Glossip Faces Execution in One Month After Oklahoma Court Denies Bid for New Trial,” Democracy Now!).
It remains to be seen whether there will be any further developments in Glossip’s case before his scheduled execution date. For now, he remains in prison, still proclaiming his innocence, while his supporters continue to push for justice (“Oklahoma Appeals Court Refuses To Overturn Richard Glossip’s Conviction,” Reason Magazine).
