Writer of "Dead Man Walking," joins Oklahoma death-row inmate's fight for clemency
The next inmate scheduled to die in Oklahoma is getting some high-profile help as he prepares to face the death chamber. Richard Glossip's new spiritual adviser is Sister Helen Prejean, best known for her work to abolish the death penalty. Sister Prejean wrote the book “Dead Man Walking” about her experiences ministering to those on death row. That book was turned into a critically-acclaimed motion picture.
“He [Glossip] wrote to me, we've been writing for about four or five months,” Sister Prejean told Fox 25. When she learned about his case she began to look into the concerns about Glossip's conviction. This led her to accept his invitation to become a spiritual adviser.
Glossip had been on a hunger strike, but after nearly two weeks of not eating he said he could barely move. Glossip told Fox 25 it was Sister Prejean and his family that convinced him to start eating again to continue his fight. The DOC contends the hunger strike was primarily motivated by Glossip's desire to get food from the canteen rather than the prison cafeteria.
“He has swooped into my soul and into my life and so yes I'm going to fight for him in every way I can to get the truth out,” Sister Prejean said. “To me we have such a broken system; it's on this…one thread, of this one man's word we're sending a man to his death.”
Sister Prejean was referring to the testimony of Justin Sneed, which played a crucial role in Glossip's conviction. Sneed admitted to police that he murdered Barry Van Treese with a baseball bat inside a hotel room. It was later he told authorities Glossip planned the killing and offered to pay him to do it. Glossip has denied that allegation, but his conviction was upheld by a judge who ruled that Glossip's actions after the murder backed up Sneed's testimony. Glossip admits he helped Sneed after he learned of the murder, but said he did not plan it or pay for it.
If the execution is carried out, it will be the 7th Sister Prejean has witnessed at the request of inmates she's worked with. She told Fox 25 there is no way to really prepare to watch someone die, rather she is focused on her mission to raise awareness and advocate for abolishing the death penalty.
“It's all about Richard and it's all about being there for him where it counts fighting where it counts, doing everything within my power to resist this death and to try do to whatever I can to stop this terrible travesty of justice.”
The Pardon and Parole Board voted last October to deny clemency for Glossip. The last prosecutor to try his case wrote to the board to say Glossip had shown no remorse and did not deserve any special treatment from the board.
Van Treese's brother, Kenneth, wrote the board saying that Glossip was “undoubtedly responsible” for his brother's death. “I will speak for my brother,” Kenneth wrote, “It hurts like Hell to have your head bashed in with a baseball bat. Do not feel sorry for the bastard [that] took my life.”
http://www.okcfox.com/story/27886529...t-for-clemency
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