Richard Glossip Granted Bond After Three Decades on Death Row

OKLAHOMA CITY — After nearly 30 years of incarceration, including several stints on death row that saw him come within hours of execution, Richard Glossip has been granted bond by an Oklahoma judge. The decision, handed down Thursday by Oklahoma County District Judge Natalie Mai, marks a pivotal shift in a decades-long legal saga that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

Glossip, 63, was granted a $500,000 bond as he prepares for a retrial regarding the 1997 murder of Barry Van Treese, a motel owner. While he will remain subject to strict conditions—including electronic monitoring, a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew, and travel restrictions—the ruling allows him to leave state custody for the first time since his 1997 arrest.

The path to Thursday’s ruling began when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Glossip’s conviction last year. The high court determined that the state had violated Glossip’s constitutional rights by allowing a key witness, Justin Sneed, to provide testimony that authorities knew was false. Sneed, who admitted to the physical killing of Van Treese, remains in prison serving a life sentence; his testimony had long served as the primary basis for the state’s allegation that Glossip orchestrated a murder-for-hire scheme.

“For the first time in 29 years of being incarcerated for a crime he did not commit, during which he faced 9 execution dates and ate 3 last meals, Mr. Glossip now has the chance to taste freedom while his defense team continues to pursue justice on his behalf.”

— Don Knight, Attorney for Richard Glossip

Glossip’s case stands as one of the most high-profile death penalty battles in modern American history. He faced nine separate execution dates during his time on death row and came dangerously close to lethal injection three times. In 2015, a significant procedural failure occurred when prison officials discovered that the lethal drugs obtained for Glossip’s execution did not meet required protocols. That error prompted a shift in state policy and contributed to a nearly seven-year moratorium on executions in Oklahoma.

His journey through the judicial system garnered international attention, drawing support from advocates ranging from Kim Kardashian to actress Susan Sarandon. The case was further highlighted in the 2017 documentary, “Killing Richard Glossip.”

Despite the overturning of his conviction, the state is not dropping the case entirely. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced last year that the state intends to retry Glossip on a murder charge; however, the state has confirmed it will not pursue the death penalty in a new trial.

As of Thursday afternoon, the exact timing of Glossip’s release remained pending final processing. His legal team expressed relief at the court’s decision to move beyond the state’s previous insistence on detention. With this bond order, the case now moves toward its next chapter, where the defense aims to finally clear Glossip’s name in a new proceeding.