Sunday, September 13, 2015

The murder got life in prison while blamed Richard Cossip for talking him into the crime. Glossip was given the death penalty.

Glossip was nowhere near the murder scene. He was scapegoated for a lesser sentence for the confessed and actual murderer. This is all backwards and Oklahoma hasn't yet corrected the trajectory.

September 11, 2015

Dear Governor Mary Fallin: (click here)
We urge you to stay the execution of Richard Glossip so that deep concerns about his guilt can be addressed.

On September 16, unless you act, the State of Oklahoma will put Mr. Glossip to death for the murder of Barry Van Treese. Justin Sneed--who by his own admission beat Van Tresse to death with a baseball bat--will not meet that fate....

...The National Registry of Exonerations lists 115 defendants who were sentenced to death and later exonerated and released after new evidence of innocence was discovered. Of those 115 innocent defendants who had been sentenced to death, 29, a quarter of the total, were convicted after another person who was himself a suspect in the murder gave a confession that also implicated the innocent defendant....

...Oklahoma has come close to executing innocent defendants. Ron Williamson's story is well known from John Grisham's book, The Innocent Man. He came within five days of execution. Fortunately, a federal judge ordered a new trial. Four years later Williamson was exonerated by DNA tests--which also identified the real killer, who was later convicted of the murder....

...Unfortunately, Governor, in this case you are the last state official with the power to prevent a deadly mistake.

Sincerely, 

Sen. Tom Coburn, U.S. Senator for Oklahoma (2005-2015) and U.S. Representative for Oklahoma's Second Congressional District from (1995-2001) Barry Switzer, Head Football Coach, The University of Oklahoma (1973-1988) John W. Raley, Jr., U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Oklahoma (1990-1997) Barry Scheck, Co-Director of the Innocence Project Samuel Gross, Professor of Law, University of Michigan and Editor, National Registry of Exonerations