Richard Glossip Walks Free on $500,000 Bond After Nearly 30 Years in Oklahoma Prison
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 15
Richard Glossip Walks Free on $500,000 Bond After Nearly 30 Years in Oklahoma Prison
17 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 15
Nearly 30 years after entering prison, Richard Glossip was released Thursday from an Oklahoma jail while awaiting retrial in the 1997 killing of motel owner Barry Van Treese.
Judge Natalie Mai set bond at $500,000 and ordered electronic monitoring, barred Glossip from contacting witnesses, and prohibited travel outside Oklahoma.
The release follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to grant a new trial after independent investigations found withheld evidence and faulty testimony from key witness Justin Sneed.
Glossip was convicted in 1998 of arranging Van Treese’s murder for $10,000, but his case drew national attention after Oklahoma set nine execution dates before the conviction was undone.
After two overturned convictions and admitted misconduct, can Oklahoma's justice system now deliver a truly fair third trial for Richard Glossip?
Could one man's 30-year fight for freedom finally force a national reckoning on prosecutorial misconduct in the American justice system?
Richard Glossip Released on $500,000 Bail: Supreme Court Overturns Conviction Amid Prosecutorial Misconduct in Oklahoma Death Penalty Case
Overview
On May 14, 2026, Oklahoma District Court Judge Natalie Mai granted Richard Glossip bail at $500,000, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2025 decision overturning his conviction due to an unfair trial. This ruling removed Glossip from death row after more than two decades and opened the possibility of his release from Oklahoma County Jail. The Supreme Court found that Glossip had not received a fair trial, which led to the judge’s decision to allow bail. If Glossip secures the bail, he will be able to prepare for his upcoming retrial outside of jail, marking a major shift in his long legal battle.