Richard Glossip, ex-death row inmate, pleads guilty to lesser charge in Oklahoma

article Richard Glossip (Oklahoma Department of Corrections) The Brief Former Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip, whose murder conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court, has pleaded guilty to a lesser accessory charge. Glossip had nine execution dates set and ate his last meal three separate times. His case attracted the attention of celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Susan Sarandon. Richard Glossip, the former Oklahoma death row inmate who spent nearly three decades in prison and was nearly executed three times before the Supreme Court tossed his murder conviction, has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. His attorney Don Knight told The Associated Press that Glossip pleaded guilty to accessory to murder. The plea came over six months after Glossip was released from prison on bond while awaiting a retrial for what prosecutors allege was a murder-for-hire scheme in 1997. Richard Glossip pleads guilty to accessory The backstory: Glossip was sentenced to death over the killing in Oklahoma City of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese, who was beaten with a baseball bat. Another man, Justin Sneed, admitted to robbing and killing Van Treese, but testified that he did so after Glossip promised to pay him $10,000. Sneed was the state’s key witness against Glossip and was sentenced to life in prison. READ MORE: Alabama governor spares death-row inmate after raising doubts about evidence While on death row, Glossip had nine execution dates set and ate his last meal three separate times. But none of the scheduled executions ever happened because Oklahoma prison officials learned they didn’t have the right lethal drugs to follow the state’s execution protocols. The mix-up prompted a seven-year moratorium on executions in Oklahoma. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually threw out Glossip’s conviction, and he was released on bond in May to await retrial . His case has attracted celebrity support from Kim Kardashian and Susan Sarandon. Big picture view: Knight said Glossip acknowledges in his guilty plea that he helped place plexiglass over a broken window at the motel. Van Treese’s body was inside the room, but Glossip did not know it was there and never saw it, Knight said. What they're saying: "He had nothing to do with the murder, none of the planning, or carrying it out," Knight said. "We believe Rich has more than paid his debt to society by spending nearly 30 years on death row, during which time he was served three last meals and came within minutes of being executed for a crime he did not commit," Knight said. Will Richard Glossip go back to prison? What's next: Glossip will be sentenced in December, at which time he could be released or sent back to prison for another 15 years. The other side: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said prosecutors will ask for more prison time. Drummond previously said the state would seek to retry Glossip on a murder charge. Accepting the plea to a lesser charge "was a difficult decision for me and, more importantly, the Van Treese family. We both recognize that this path ensures a conviction related to Mr. Van Treese’s killing and gives us the best chance to secure additional prison time for Glossip," Drummond said. The Source: This article includes information from The Associated Press and previous FOX Local reporting. Crime and Public Safety Oklahoma