Glossip In Last-Minute Appeal Over Execution

Attorneys for Oklahoma death row prisoner Richard Glossip have made a last-ditch appeal to the US Supreme Court to grant a stay of execution.

He is due to die at 3pm local time (9.00pm BST) today.

Glossip spoke to Sky News on the telephone from his cell in Oklahoma State Penitentiary just as he was being served his last meal.

Two weeks ago he went through the same ritual, and ordered the same food, including pizza and fish and chips.

Then, the following day, three hours before he was to be put to death, an appeal court halted the execution.

Then, earlier this week, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that it wouldn't delay the process again.

Judges split 3-2 in favour of carrying out the death sentence. Two of the judges who objected said the evidence in the case was flawed and tenuous.

Glossip was convicted of murdering his boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese, because the man who carried out the killing said Glossip paid him to do it.

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In return for his testimony, Justin Sneed escaped a death sentence and is serving life in prison.

Sneed continues to blame Glossip, telling the Oklahoma news organisation The Frontier: "Mr Glossip coerced me, and pleaded with me for over three months and the amounts of money he was offering me kept changing.

"He kept begging and pleading until the point he pushed me over an edge."

Glossip's attorneys say he is lying and point out that in the interview he made a new claim which he had never raised before, to explain why there was no physical evidence linking Glossip to the crime.

"I look back now and I notice that he put some gloves on and he made sure his fingerprints wasn't there."

Glossip told Sky News: "He testified at my second trial. He was asked that by the DA (District Attorney): 'Was Richard wearing gloves?' He said no.

"'He said 'Does Richard own a pair of gloves?' He said no. And now he's on TV saying that I did. It continues to show the discrepancies in anything that Justin Sneed has to say."

He said he believes his attorneys have a good chance of convincing the Supreme Court to intervene in his case.