Lawmaker: Report shows Oklahoma death row inmate’s innocence

OKLAHOMA CITY — A Republican Oklahoma state representative who is a self-described death-penalty supporter on Wednesday said a report by a Houston law firm into the conviction of death row inmate Richard Glossip proves Glossip’s innocence.

“We’ve got an individual sitting on death row that’s been there 25 years and I believe he’s totally innocent,” said Rep. Kevin McDugle.

McDugle called for a new appeals court hearing for Glossip based on the investigation by Houston law firm Reed Smith, which produced the report at no charge to the state.

Glossip’s attorney, Don

Knight, said the report shows Glossip’s innocence.

“In the coming days, Mr. Glossip’s defense team will file a request for a hearing with the Oklahoma Court of Appeals so this new evidence of innocence can be examined in a court of law,” Knight said in a statement.

The firm reported lost or destroyed evidence, and a detective in the case who was biased against Glossip and improperly asked leading questions to co-defendant Justin Sneed to implicate Glossip in the slaying of motel owner Barry Van Treese, said Reed Smith attorney Stan Perry.

“Our conclusion is that no reasonable juror, hearing the complete record, and the uncovered facts... would have convicted Richard Glossip of capital murder,” Perry said.

The evidence included financial records that were destroyed in late 1999 or early 2000, prior to Glossip’s retrial after his first conviction and death sentence were overturned. The records could have disproved the prosecution’s theory that Glossip wanted Van Treese killed to hide Glossip’s alleged embezzlement from the motel, where he was manager.