--- description: New evidence lead an appeals court to halt the execution scheduled for Wednesday title: Oklahoma Execution Halted Amid Concerns Inmate Is Innocent image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd57aef256cd8a020/698863ffab6d774d0f6a632b/richard-glossip.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Oklahoma Execution Halted Amid Concerns Inmate Is Innocent ## Video: Bryan Stevenson: Believe Things You Haven't Seen [Watch (HLS stream): Bryan Stevenson: Believe Things You Haven't Seen](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jCfnntTO.m3u8) (4:11)  _Published 2015-06-19. Bryan A. Stevenson, a lawyer and the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative._  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Sep 16, 2015 5:12 PM CUT  Death row inmate Richard E. Glossip. Death row inmate Richard E. Glossip.Oklahoma Department of Corrections/AFP/Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Sep 16, 2015 5:12 PM CUT An Oklahoma court halted the execution scheduled for Wednesday of a convicted murderer amid growing concern he may be innocent. The Associated Press [reports](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/8cd8852ab3e4433b8d9ec847b30d6bf3/latest-oklahoma-execute-1st-inmate-court-ruling "undefined") an appeals court halted the execution of Richard Glossip shortly before he was scheduled to be executed after his attorneys asked for time to review new evidence, including a claim by another inmate that he overheard the other man convicted in the case admit he acted alone. Glossip was convicted of murder in 1977 after being linked to the death of Barry Van Treese. Justin Sneed, who bludgeoned Van Treese to death, said he [had been paid to do so by Glossip](http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/16/us/oklahoma-richard-glossip-execution/index.html "undefined"). But some have questioned the verdict, arguing that Sneed’s testimony in court came in exchange for a deal with prosecutors and that there is [no concrete evidence](http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/lethal-injection/oklahomas-richard-glossip-nuns-7th-dead-man-walking-n427916 "undefined") linking Glossip to the crime. Sneed’s daughter recently argued in a [letter](http://www.scribd.com/doc/253726030/Clemency-letter-from-O-Ryan-Justine-Sneed "undefined") that the state delay the execution, saying her father has wanted to revoke his testimony. “One innocent life has already been taken by my father’s actions,” wrote Sneed’s daughter, O’Ryan Justine Sneed. “A second one doesn’t deserve to be taken as well.” Another controversial aspect of the execution is its method: lethal injection. If the execution proceeds as scheduled, Glossip will be killed using a drug that has led to botched executions in the past. Three different inmates — [Dennis McGuire](http://time.com/1562/no-good-way-to-die/ "undefined") in Ohio, [Clayton Lockett](http://time.com/82787/oklahoma-botched-execution-clayton-lockett-lethal-injection-problems/ "undefined") in Oklahoma and [Joseph Wood](http://time.com/3026985/joseph-wood-arizona-lethal-injection-botched/ "undefined") in Arizona — appeared to experience difficulties during executions last year when executioners used the drug midazolam. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the legality of using the drug in June. “I am worried they will botch it again,” Glossip told CNN. However, family members of Glossip’s alleged victim have said the execution should proceed. The victim’s son, Daniel Van Treese, told NBC News that Glossip’s defenders “have more money than sense,” and were pushing an agenda. “Let us get on with our lives,” said Van Treese. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4036397/oklahoma-execution-glossip/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4036397/oklahoma-execution-glossip/"},"headline":"Oklahoma Execution Halted Amid Concerns Inmate Is Innocent","datePublished":"2015-09-16T17:12:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T10:58:48.454Z","description":"New evidence lead an appeals court to halt the execution","url":"https://time.com/4036397/oklahoma-execution-glossip/","keywords":["Crime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd57aef256cd8a020/698863ffab6d774d0f6a632b/richard-glossip.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd57aef256cd8a020/698863ffab6d774d0f6a632b/richard-glossip.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Richard Glossip","caption":"Richard Glossip","creditText":"Oklahoma Department of Corrections/AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4036397/oklahoma-execution-glossip/","name":"Oklahoma Execution Halted Amid Concerns Inmate Is Innocent"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Bryan Stevenson: Believe Things You Haven't Seen","description":"Bryan A. 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