Sydney Hamilton | Glossip v. Oklahoma

Richard Glossip was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in Oklahoma in 2004. Glossip has maintained his innocence consistently, and his case has drawn significant attention because of concerns about prosecutorial misconduct and the lack of physical evidence implicating him in the crime.

In 1997, Justin Sneed, an employee of Barry Van Treese at the Best Budget Inn in Oklahoma City, murdered Van Treese. Glossip also worked at the inn. While Sneed admitted to killing Van Treese, he claimed Glossip hired him to commit the crime. The police investigation was highly criticized for being cursory and overlooking potential leads. For example, the police did not search Sneed’s room at the inn, nor did they question most of the inn’s guests. Critical evidence was also released just days after the murder.