An Oklahoma judge on Thursday granted Richard Glossip, a former death row prisoner, release on a $500,000 bond after nearly 30 years in prison. Glossip, 63, awaits a retrial for the 1997 murder of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese. The US Supreme Court overturned his conviction last year, citing prosecutorial misconduct.
Judge Natalie Mai ordered Glossip to wear an electronic monitoring device, remain in Oklahoma, and avoid contacting witnesses or consuming drugs or alcohol. Glossip's release marks his first time out of prison since his arrest in 1997. His case has drawn support from Kim Kardashian and other prominent figures.
Glossip was sentenced to death for the murder, which prosecutors alleged was part of a murder-for-hire scheme. The Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors allowed a key witness to give false testimony, violating Glossip's right to a fair trial. The Oklahoma attorney general has said the state will retry him but will not seek the death penalty.
During his time on death row, Glossip faced nine execution dates and came close to being put to death three times, even eating last meals. In 2015, he was held in a cell next to the execution chamber before a drug mix-up led to a seven-year moratorium on executions in Oklahoma.
His attorney, Donald Knight, expressed gratitude for the judge's decision and said Glossip looks forward to exoneration. Knight stated, 'Mr Glossip now has the chance to taste freedom while his defense team continues to pursue justice on his behalf against a system that the United States supreme court has found to be guilty of serious misconduct by state prosecutors.'
