Oklahoma’s Richard Glossip freed on bond after 30 years on death row

Richard Glossip, who spent nearly 30 years on Oklahoma's death row, has been released on a $500,000 bond pending a retrial for a 1997 murder. An Oklahoma judge granted the release after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Glossip's conviction last year, citing constitutional violations related to false testimony. Glossip, 63, will be electronically monitored and restricted from leaving the state or contacting witnesses. Prosecutors will retry him for the murder of his former boss, Barry Van Treese, but will not seek the death penalty. Glossip had faced execution three times previously, with his scheduled executions being stayed due to various issues, including a drug mix-up that led to a moratorium on executions in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma executed Raymond Johnson, 52, on Thursday for the June 2007 murders of his ex-girlfriend, Brooke Whitaker, 24, and her 7-month-old daughter, Kya. Johnson was pronounced dead at 10:12 a.m. at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary following a lethal injection. Prosecutors stated Johnson fatally beat Whitaker with a hammer during an argument at her Tulsa home, then set her and the house on fire, killing Kya from burns. Whitaker suffered severe head injuries and burns. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond described Johnson as a "cruel murderer."

Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip has been granted bond by a judge, allowing his release while awaiting a retrial for a 1997 murder. Glossip, who has been on death row for nearly 30 years and narrowly avoided execution three times, was released on a $500,000 bond with strict conditions, including electronic monitoring and travel restrictions. His conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court last year due to prosecutorial misconduct involving a key witness's testimony. The state will retry Glossip for the murder of his former boss, Barry Van Treese, but will no longer seek the death penalty.