Monthly Archives: August 2015

Ask Governor Fallin of Oklahoma to grant Richard Glossip a stay of execution. I signed a petition asking that tonight. You can too.

I agree with Andrew Stroehlein, European Media Director of Human Rights Watch:

You don’t reject the death penalty because the criminals are decent people. You reject the death penalty because you are decent people.

I would also affirm:

I don’t oppose the death penalty because of what it says about the person being executed. I oppose the death penalty because of that it says about our society and about me.

And absolutely I believe:

I oppose the death penalty because human infallibility and the racism and classism endemic to our justice system make the it possible, maybe even likely, an innocent person will be executed.

Richard Glossip may be an innocent person. The state of Oklahoma plans to execute Richard on September 16. Sister Helen Prejean and many others believe he is innocent of the crime for which was convicted.

Early on January 7, 1997, Barry Van Treese, owner of the Best Budget Inn in Oklahoma City was beaten to death with a baseball bat. It was a brutal, heinous crime. I grieve for Mr. Van Treese and those who loved him.

Richard Glossip was convicted of murder after Justin Sneed, the man who confessed to the killing, claimed Richard had hired him to do it, despite a ulack of evidence. Sneed got a life sentence in a medium-security prison, while the self-serving testimony that saved Sneed’s life sent Richard to death row.

The National Coalition against the Death Penalty notes there was no physical evidence to corroborate Sneed’s testimony against Richard. Sister Helen Prejean’s Ministry against the Death Penalty notes several reasons that Glossip should receive a stay of execution including the fact that he did not kill Barry Van Treese and the lack of evidence supporting the contention that Glossip had hired Sneed to do the killing. Learn more about the case from Sister Helen Prejean’s Ministry against the Death Penalty.

Other actions you might take, suggested by both Sister Helen Prejean’s ministry and the National Coalition against the Death Penalty:

• Contact Gov. Mary Fallin and ask her to halt this execution: write her a letter at Governor Mary Fallin, Oklahoma State Capitol, 2300 North Lincoln Boulevard, Room 212, Oklahoma City, OK 73105; call her at (405) 521-2342 or contact her by tweet at @GovMaryFallin.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.
• Write to Richard. His address is: Richard E. Glossip, #267303, OSP, H-Unit, H-SW4-L, PO Box 97, McAlester, OK 74502. To make sure your letter reaches Richard, please include your full name and return mail address on the envelope. Also, do not include anything in the envelope other than your card or letter.

Join me in asking Governor Fallin of Oklahoma to grant Richard Glossip a stay of execution.

See you along the Trail.