The 15-page summary is being released to provide an overview of basic facts and key aspects of the firm’s final 343-page report, inclusive of exhibits, regarding its independent, third-party investigation into the case of State v. Richard E. Glossip. Given the in-depth nature of the report, Reed Smith believes that a summary may be useful for those wishing to understand its findings in a more condensed document. However, as noted in the summary document, “there is no substitute for a full reading of the Report in its entirety.”

The report, dated June 7, 2022, was prepared by Reed Smith at the request of an ad hoc committee of Oklahoma legislators who expressed concerns about the integrity of Richard Glossip’s conviction.

Glossip was sentenced to death for purportedly masterminding the murder of Barry Van Treese, who owned the Oklahoma City motel where Glossip worked. Glossip maintains his innocence, and his case has drawn international attention. In June 2021, a bipartisan group of more than 30 Oklahoma legislators implored the governor and the state’s pardon and parole board to conduct an investigation into the Glossip case. Reed Smith was asked to conduct its independent investigation after no investigation by the State of Oklahoma was conducted.

Reed Smith found that the verdict from Glossip’s 2004 retrial was not reliable in light of facts and evidence now known. As stated previously:

Considering the facts we uncovered, and that there exists no physical forensic evidence or credible corroborating testimony linking Glossip to the crime, our conclusion is that no reasonable juror hearing the complete record would have convicted Richard Glossip of first-degree murder.

The summary (pdf, July 21) and full report (pdf, June 16) are available to the public.