Reed Smith LLP

Reed Smith updates Richard Glossip report with new information

Supplement to June report reveals new facts raising renewed concerns about witness testimony and mishandling of evidence

Home News Reed Smith updates Richard Glossip report with new information
OKLAHOMA CITY – Reed Smith today released a supplemental report to its independent investigation into the case of Richard E. Glossip, an Oklahoma state inmate on death row since 1997.

Related Professionals: Stan Perry

Since the firm’s initial report was made public on June 7, 2022, the Reed Smith investigative team has continued to investigate and obtained additional information that further supports its findings, including that no reasonable jury hearing the complete record would have convicted Richard Glossip of first-degree murder.

The supplement released today details newly obtained information that once more calls into question Glossip’s conviction, including:

  • The post-trial statements of the prosecution’s key witness, Justin Sneed, that undermine the reliability of his 2004 trial testimony
  • Sneed’s January 1997 statements to another inmate that contradict his statements to police and court testimony that Glossip hired him to carry out a murder for hire
  • Sneed’s school disciplinary and criminal history, which contradict the state’s portrayal of him to the Jury as a meek non-violent individual
  • The premature release of evidence by police before locating the actual killer (Sneed)
  • The further destruction of evidence

Read Justin Sneed's own letter saying his testimony was a “mistake.”

On July 21, the firm also released a 14-page summary of its initial report.

Beginning in February, Reed Smith conducted its independent investigation into the Glossip case pro bono at the request of an ad hoc committee of Oklahoma state legislators.

“Our team will continue to investigate Richard Glossip’s case and conviction, because new information has continued to become available since we published our original report,” said Reed Smith partner Stan Perry. “We anticipate this work will continue until a final disposition of Glossip’s case.”

“As we have concluded, an execution in this case would be entirely unjust given our conclusion that no reasonable jury hearing the complete record would even have convicted Glossip,” Perry said. “We will continue to review all available evidence and welcome any additional revelations that may shed further light at this critical juncture.”

Richard Glossip is scheduled for execution by the state on September 22, 2022. [Note: Mr. Glossip’s execution has been rescheduled to December 8, 2022, since the date of this release.]

Glossip's attorneys state that new evidence uncovered by the Reed Smith investigation demands a new hearing.

The Reed Smith team’s supplement (pdf, August 9), summary (pdf, July 21) and full report (pdf, June 16) are available to the public.