Oklahoma

Oklahoma's Own In Focus: Supreme Court overturns Richard Glossip's conviction; DA to decide next steps

Published

9 months ago

February 26, 2025

Oklahoma's Own In Focus: Supreme Court overturns Richard Glossip's conviction; DA to decide next steps

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Richard Glossip’s most recent conviction Friday, leaving the Oklahoma County district attorney to decide whether to try him a third time for the 1997 murder of Barry Van Treese.

Decades-long case history

Glossip, who has been on death row since 1997, was convicted twice of paying Justin Sneed to kill Van Treese, the owner of the motel where Glossip worked. Sneed, who was given a lesser sentence in exchange for his testimony, was the key witness in both trials.

An appeals court overturned Glossip’s first conviction in 2001 due to ineffective counsel. He was convicted again in 2004 and sentenced to death. Over the years, his execution was delayed multiple times, including stays from former Gov. Mary Fallin in 2014 and 2015 due to lethal injection drug concerns, and from Gov. Kevin Stitt in 2022 while new evidence was reviewed.

In 2023, Attorney General Gentner Drummond ordered an independent review of the case, citing evidence that Oklahoma County prosecutors had failed to disclose. A state appeals court upheld Glossip’s conviction later that year, and his clemency request was denied. The U.S. Supreme Court then put his May 2023 execution on hold, heard oral arguments in October, and ruled 5-3 Tuesday to overturn his conviction.

Legal expert and family reactions

Longtime criminal defense attorney Irven Box, who has followed the case for years, said a retrial may be difficult because the main witness, Justin Sneed, has died.

“I think zero odds they’ll retry this case,” Box said. “They could use the transcript from the prior trial, but the main witness is deceased.”

Barry Van Treese’s son, Derek Van Treese, issued a statement saying, in part: “For the last 10,276 days, we’ve been waiting for justice. The family remains confident that when that new trial is held, the jury will return the same verdict as in the first two trials—guilty of first-degree murder.”

Box suggested prosecutors might opt for a lesser charge to resolve the case quickly.

“My opinion is in the next days, weeks, or months, they’ll bring him back to court, reduce the charge—maybe to a lesser charge like murder or manslaughter—give him time credit for the years he’s been in prison, and then I think he’ll be released,” Box said.

The Van Treese family has stated they want the case pursued as a death penalty case and do not want the DA to seek a lesser charge.

Next steps for Glossip

Glossip’s wife, Leah Rogers, said they were overcome with emotion when they received the Supreme Court’s decision over the phone Friday morning. The couple married inside the state penitentiary in 2022.

The Death Penalty Information Center said Glossip could become the 201st U.S. prisoner exonerated from death row if he is not convicted again. Eleven former Oklahoma death row inmates have been acquitted or had their charges dismissed, including Glenn Simmons, who was freed in 2023 after prosecutors found key evidence was withheld in his case.

Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna will now decide whether to refile charges. In a statement, Behenna said she has discussed the ruling with Drummond and will review the opinion before determining the next steps.

🔹 Richard Glossip Legal Analyst Steps After Overturn – Read More Here

🔹 Reactions Pour In After Richard Glossip’s Death Row Sentence Thrown Out – Full Story Here

🔹 Q&A with Former State Rep. Kevin McDugle on Richard Glossip’s New Trial Decision – See the Interview

🔹 Richard Glossip: Full Timeline of His Case – View Timeline Here

🔹 Richard Glossip: Ex-Oklahoma Lawmaker Says Supreme Court Ruling Should Spark Death Penalty Reform – Read More Here

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma Likely to Face Full Strength Missouri per Friday Availability Report

Published

6 hours ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

Oklahoma Likely to Face Full Strength Missouri per Friday Availability Report

It appears Oklahoma will get Missouri’s best shot.

The Tigers’ starting quarterback, Beau Pribula, was upgraded to available for Saturday’s showdown by not appearing on Friday’s SEC Availability Report.

Pribula suffered a lower leg injury in Missouri’s loss to Vanderbilt, and he hasn’t appeared since.

Pribula has completed 69.6 percent of his passes this year for 1,685 yards and 11 touchdowns, though he has thrown seven interceptions.

But the No. 22-ranked Tigers will likely have him back as they try to upend No. 8 Oklahoma’s season.

For the Sooners’ part, they’ll be working without a few pieces.

Defensive end R Mason Thomas and defensive back Gentry Williams were both downgraded from questionable to doubtful on the report.

Thomas injured his quad early in Oklahoma’s win over Tennessee in the process of returning Joey Aguilar’s fumble all the way back to the end zone for a touchdown.

Williams hasn’t featured since he exited on the first drive of OU’s win over South Carolina.

Running back Jovantae Barnes and offensive guard Heath Ozaeta were both ruled out for the contest, as was defensive back Kendel Dolby. This marked the first time all week that Dolby appeared on the availability report.

OU was already going to be without offensive linemen Troy Everett, Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor, who have been ruled out of every SEC contest this year.

Running backs Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock did not appear on the availability report, though it’s unclear if either back will be 100 percent on Saturday.

Robinson had to go to the injury tent in the second half against Alabama, and while he did return to the game, he was not as effective late.

As a result, OU coach Brent Venables said the Sooners will have to lean on the depth of the offense to keep the rushing game going against Missouri.

“It’s going to be tested, no question,” Venables said. “So hopeful we can stay healthy and we’re probably going to spread it out a little more to kind of manage the next few weeks.”

The Sooners and the Tigers will meet at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Owen Field, and the contest will be broadcast on ABC.

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Oklahoma

Kish Eager To See ‘Strongest Version Of Oklahoma Wrestling’ – FloWrestling

Published

24 hours ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

Kish Eager To See ‘Strongest Version Of Oklahoma Wrestling’ – FloWrestling

The tests immediately started for Roger Kish’s Oklahoma squad.

The Sooners saw what no other team did for its opening dual — four-time defending national champion Penn State.

Then the injuries. Several starters out.

Eight freshmen or sophomores thrown into a hostile Bryce Jordan Center resulted in a 45-0 Nittany Lions win last Friday. Only for the then-#20 Sooners to scoot over to Bucknell less than 24 hours later and beat the Bison, 18-12.

“I would say the most disappointing piece of that was not being able to get the matchups we were really hoping to see and allow some other guys the opportunity to go in an arena like that and compete,” Kish said. “However, the guys that did go out and compete, I thought they competed hard, and we just got outwrestled in a lot of areas. I think it was a great learning moment for them.”

The third-year Oklahoma coach hopes early-season hurdles will soon dissolve as the Sooners seek a second consecutive winning season and their next batch of All-Americans since 2024.

The Sooners host Indiana at 2 p.m. CT Sunday.

“I would suggest that once all of these guys are back and going, you can see the strongest version of Oklahoma wrestling,” Kish said. “I believe there will be a lot of excitement.”

A lineup with just three returning starters but packed with impact transfers and multiple Big Board recruits fill out the lineup for the Sooners.

“I was really happy with the group to be able to bounce back off a hard night and then go back 24 hours later with Bucknell,” Kish said. “It was kinda nice to see the growth between Friday night and Saturday night then being able to come back here on Monday and sit down with the team and discuss some of the highlights and lowlights and things we did well.”

Holdovers

Kish didn’t arrive in Norman alone when the Sooners plucked him from North Dakota State in May 2023.

He brought several Bison, with seniors Juan Mora (heavyweight), DJ Parker (197) and Mannix Morgan (174) as the remaining bunch.

Their final season brings the biggest goals.

Mora seeks his first NCAA Championships qualification after he finished sixth at the 2025 Big 12 Championships. He tallied four ranked wins across a 12-9 mark a season ago.

Parker and Anthony started their senior campaigns with titles at the Tiger Style Invite.

Mora, ranked #24, then dropped a 5-2 decision against Penn State’s #10 Cole Mirasola on Friday then stopped Bucknell’s #27 Lucas Lawler via the same score.

“(Mora and Parker) are two guys that are just part of our family,” Kish said. “That relationship piece is very, very nice. I am really proud of those two guys. What they do well is I think they bring a lot of leadership abilities. They have a great way of helping guys come together as a team and keeping guys built up and holding guys accountable.”

Parker, a two-time NCAA qualifier at 184, reached the blood round in Philadelphia in 2025, thanks to two consecutive bonus-point wins on the backside.

Parker, ranked 14th, took a 13-3 loss to Connor Mirasola on Friday, then beat Bucknell’s #13 Dillon Bechtold, 6-5.

“I think when they made the transition to Oklahoma, they had the ability to kinda navigate and learn their way around this program and here they are a couple years in and really developed into some great young men,” Kish said. “Really, really proud of them.”

Big Brand

OU’s history and tradition speaks for itself.

Seven team national championships, 67 individual national champions and 278 All-Americans.

That pedigree and status in a wrestling-rich state consistently attracts top talent.

“The thought of what their future looks like here at Oklahoma, they understand that they are going to be taken care of and treated very well as athletes but also in doing so, building a strong network and preparing these guys for life after college sports,” Kish said. “Making sure that they have access to success following.”

Kish’s roster features 11 transfers, including 149-pounder Jack Gioffre (an NCAA qualifier at Virginia), heavyweight Bradley Hill (an NCAA qualifier at Iowa), 165-pounder Peyten Kellar (a 157-pound All-American with Ohio in 2024), 184-pounder Brian Soldano (a two-time NCAA qualifier at Rutgers), 141-pounder Tyler Wells (a two-time NCAA qualifier at Minnesota) and 157-pounder Rafael Hipolito Jr. (an ACC champion and NCAA qualifier at Virginia Tech).

The Sooners also boast three consecutive ranked recruiting classes (#8 in 2024, #17 in 2025 and 2026).

“Really excited about where we are headed and the direction of this program, it has been a lot of fun to see,” Kish said. “I think that has been a really impactful idea for us as coaches. And as we get into year three, you are able to build a core of young guys here that are motivated and excited to be here.

Steady Building

One of Kish’s splashy additions wasn’t a recruit.

Kish hired 2017 Penn State national champion Mark Hall as OU’s director of operations in May of 2024.

Hall enters his second season in Norman, and offers more than travel planning, budgeting and team organizational skills.

“I say this about all the coaches, I just think the level of care that, not only Mark, but all the coaches have for the athletes is tremendous,” Kish said. “The knowledge of the sport is through the roof and the ability to get out and work through the positions with all these guys and being on the mats every day with them.”

The Sooners finished 8-4 overall a season ago, including a 4-4 mark in Big 12.

Hall’s hire became the freshest after former NDSU assistants Cam Sykora and Austin Marsden followed Kish from Fargo.

“Having these guys on the mats every day, wrestling drilling and sparring with these guys and allowing them to just be mentors and pick their brains consistently has been really a great advantage,” Kish said.

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