Kim Kardashian just dropped half a million dollars to free a man who’s been locked up for nearly three decades on Oklahoma’s death row.
Richard Glossip walked out of prison this week as a free man for the first time since 1997, and the billionaire reality star made it happen by posting his $500K bail.
Film producer Scott Budnick announced the move on Instagram with photos of Glossip leaving the facility, writing, “AFTER 29 YEARS INNOCENT ON OKLAHOMA’S DEATH ROW – RICHARD GLOSSIP WALKED OUT AS A FREE MAN THIS AFTERNOON!!!!”
Glossip’s case is the kind of legal nightmare that keeps people up at night. He was convicted for his role in the 1997 killing of Barry Van Treese, a motel owner where Glossip worked as a manager.
Prosecutors claimed he hired someone to beat Van Treese to death with a baseball bat, but here’s where it gets messy. The actual killer, Justin Sneed, was a teenager with a meth habit who agreed to testify against Glossip in exchange for a lighter sentence.
That testimony was the foundation of everything, and it was built on lies.
The Supreme Court figured out what was wrong last year when it completely tossed Glossip’s conviction. Prosecutors knew Sneed was lying on the stand and let him do it anyway, which violated Glossip’s constitutional right to a fair trial.
During his 29 years waiting to die, Glossip had nine execution dates scheduled and was served his final meal three separate times. That’s the kind of psychological torture that breaks people, but he kept fighting.
According to TMZ, prosecutors are planning to retry Glossip for the murder, but they won’t be seeking the death penalty this time around.
Kardashian’s move connects to her broader criminal justice advocacy work, which has become a defining part of her public identity over the past several years.
She’s not alone in supporting Glossip either. Actress Susan Sarandon has been vocal about his innocence for years, using her platform to keep pressure on the system.
The state of Oklahoma now has to decide whether to actually prove its case against Glossip or let him walk free completely.
The judge’s decision to grant bail signals serious doubts about the strength of the prosecution’s evidence moving forward.