The plea marks a turning point in one of Oklahoma's longest-running death penalty cases. Glossip, now 63, was convicted of orchestrating the murder of Van Treese, the owner of an Oklahoma City motel where Glossip worked as a manager. The case against him rested largely on testimony from Justin Sneed, who admitted to carrying out the killing and testified that Glossip hired him.

Drummond said the decision to accept a plea to the lesser charge was difficult but necessary to secure a conviction tied to the murder and to pursue additional prison time.

"Today, Richard Glossip finally took some measure of responsibility for the murder of Barry Van Treese," Drummond said in a statement. "While allowing Glossip to plead guilty to the lesser-related charge of Accessory to First Degree Murder was a difficult decision for me and, more importantly, the Van Treese family, we both recognize that this path ensures a conviction related to Mr. Van Treese's murder and gives us the best chance to secure additional prison time for Glossip."

Glossip's sentence has not yet been set. Drummond said he and the Van Treese family are hopeful that Judge Mai will consider "the full extent of Glossip's deceit and deception along with his complicity in Mr. Van Treese's murder" and impose the maximum 45-year sentence.

Glossip's legal saga drew national attention. He was convicted and sentenced to death, but his case was repeatedly scrutinized over claims of prosecutorial misconduct and questions about Sneed's testimony. In 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction and death sentence, ruling that he was entitled to a new trial. That trial had been scheduled to begin in late September but was postponed until Dec. 7.

Earlier this year, a judge rejected an argument from Glossip's attorneys that he and Drummond had reached a plea agreement in 2023. The alleged agreement claimed Drummond made a clear, written promise that if Glossip pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and gave up his right to sue the state, he would be released based on time served.

In May, Glossip walked out of the Oklahoma County Detention Center after a judge set his bail at $500,000 and ordered him to an approved pre-trial release program with GPS monitoring and other restrictions. It was the first time he had been out of jail or prison since his conviction nearly 30 years ago. A spokesperson for Kim Kardashian confirmed shortly after his release that she helped contribute to his bond.

Glossip had been held at the Oklahoma County Detention Center after being removed from death row. His guilty plea Thursday resolves the criminal case against him, though the sentence remains pending before Judge Mai.

The Van Treese family has not publicly commented beyond Drummond's statement. The case has raised broader questions about the reliability of jailhouse testimony and the length of death penalty appeals in Oklahoma, issues that have drawn attention from death penalty opponents and legal scholars.

Glossip is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date.