An Oklahoma inmate who has been on death row for more than 25 years, and eaten his last meal three times, was granted a new trial by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Richard Glossip was convicted of murdering his boss, Barry Van Treese, the owner of a Best Budget Inn motel in Oklahoma City, in 1997. Justin Sneed, who is currently serving a life sentence, was also charged with the murder and told the court Glossip paid him $10,000 to kill Van Treese, which Glossip denied, according to CBS News.
Despite being scheduled for nine execution dates, and eating his last meal three times, Glossip has maintained his innocence since he was arrested more than 25 years ago.
The Supreme Court ruled 5-3 in favor of Glossip and granted him a new trial after they discovered Sneed, a key witness in the case, was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and prescribed lithium by a psychiatrist after his arrest, a claim CBS News reported he denied on the stand.
Although Sneed's bipolar disorder was irrelevant, according to the Supreme Court, "his willingness to lie about it to the jury was not."
Originally published by Latin Times
