Glossip Family's Hope After Stay Of Execution

Richard Glossip's family have spoken of their relief and hope after the death row prisoner was granted a last-minute stay of execution.

There were jubilant scenes after Oklahoma's governor, Mary Fallin, stopped the execution being carried out amid concerns over one of the drugs involved.

Glossip's daughter, Erika, said: "Everybody was hugging and screaming and crying. We always tell him on the last phone call that we'll talk to him tomorrow - and it keeps being that way.

"I can't wait to talk to him to fight another day."

The 52-year-old's execution has now been delayed for 37 days, and rescheduled for 6 November.

Ms Fallin's dramatic intervention came after the US Supreme Court rejected a final appeal by the 52-year-old, who was twice convicted for the 1997 murder of his boss, although he claims he was framed and is innocent.

Erika said the Glossip family were "a little discouraged" when the ruling was announced.

But his niece, Billie-Jo Boyiddle, said: "Until they actually pronounced him dead, I had hope. I will never give up on him."

Glossip had already had his last meal of pizza and fish and chips.

His execution was due to be Oklahoma's first since the nation's highest court dismissed a challenge to the state's three-drug lethal injection formula.

The executive order issued by the governor granting the temporary reprieve said: "This stay is ordered due to the Department of Corrections having received potassium acetate as drug number three for the three-drug protocol.

"This stay will give the Department of Corrections and its attorneys the opportunity to determine whether potassium acetate is compliant with the executive protocol and/or to obtain potassium chloride."

Death penalty opponent Sister Helen Prejean, who along with Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon has taken up Glossip's cause, tweeted: "The fight for #RichardGlossip is far from over. We will never give up."

Sky News correspondent Ian Woods, who has investigated the case , had been invited by Glossip to be a witness to the execution and had been in the room in the hours leading up to the scheduled lethal injection.

He said: "I felt almost sick as the clock ticked around towards three o’clock (the time of execution).

"When it got beyond that we realised there was obviously some sort of delay.

"We knew very little. We were told absolutely nothing.

"We were then told by two prison officials that we were able to leave the site. We had no idea why.

"It was only when we got outside that we found out that it was a problem with one of the execution drugs."

Glossip was convicted of murdering his motel owner boss because the man who carried out the 1997 killing said Glossip had paid him to do it.

In return for his testimony, the actual killer escaped a death sentence and is serving life in prison.

Glossip had already had a reprieve two weeks ago.

Justin Sneed, a handyman at the Best Budget Inn, admitted using a baseball bat to kill the motel's owner, Barry Van Treese.

But Sneed continues to blame Glossip, telling the Oklahoma news organisation The Frontier: "He kept begging and pleading until the point he pushed me over an edge."

Glossip's attorneys say Sneed 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," Sneed was quoted as saying.

But 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."