Glossip's Execution Rollercoaster Taking Families For Ruthless Ride

Emotions were all over the place outside the prison in McAlester on Wednesday. Families were expecting finality after an 18-year process in Richard Glossip's case, when Gov. Fallin's decision turned it all around at the last possible minute.

Thursday, October 1st 2015, 5:48 pm

By: News 9


Emotions were all over the place outside the prison in McAlester on Wednesday. Families were expecting finality after an 18-year process in Richard Glossip's case, when Gov. Fallin's decision turned it all around at the last possible minute.

Glossip himself was floored by the call.

“I’m a pretty strong person, but you can only take so much,” he said over the phone Wednesday afternoon.

And the Van Treese family was only able to muster a collective 'unbelievable' as part of a statement.

10/1/2015 Related Story: AG Requests Indefinite Stay Of All Executions In Oklahoma

Brady Henderson with the Oklahoma American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) believes the ups and downs of this rollercoaster are taking both families on a ruthless ride.

“I think that Glossip does have the potential for an eight amendment claim to say, ‘You are essentially torturing me by bringing me right up to the brink of death, time and time again and effectively saying ‘Nope. Just kidding.’ at the very last minute.’ That is pretty cruel. No matter what somebody has done, it is cruel,” Henderson said.

A similar suit for suffering could apply for the Van Treese family, being repeatedly teased with perceived justice.

“At what point does the Van Treese family say, ‘Hey, enough is enough. Figure this out and get it right because just like you’re bringing Glossip up to the brink of death, you’re bringing us out there to McAlester. You’re telling us this is going to happen, this thing we’re waiting for and then it doesn’t,” Henderson continued.

Wednesday marked the fourth stay for Glossip. The last three were issued within 24 hours of the scheduled execution.

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