District Judge Heather Coyle did not provide reason for her recusal. She announced the decision to remove herself from the case at a scheduled status conference, during which she was expected to set a hearing on the defense's motion to enforce an alleged agreement between Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Glossip's attorneys.
Glossip has been convicted twice and sentenced to death for the 1997 killing of Oklahoma City motel owner Barry Van Treese. He's eaten his "last meal" three times and been scheduled to be executed nine times.
Throughout the process, Glossip has maintained his innocence.
In February, his charges were thrown out by the United States Supreme Court, after it found evidence of prosecutorial misconduct.
Now, Drummond is working to prosecute and sentence Glossip once again. But Glossip's defense attorneys say Drummond already agreed to release him.
In their motion, Glossip's attorneys cite a 2023 email chain with Drummond that said Glossip would be released from prison, on the condition he promised to "not sue over alleged misconduct in his case."
Though a release-dismissal agreement was sketched out over email, Drummond filed a same-day response to the motion claiming the proposed deal was never finalized. Drummond is seeking retry Glossip for murder without the possibility of receiving the death penalty.
"After the high court remanded the matter back to district court, my office thoroughly reviewed the merits of the case against Richard Glossip and concluded that sufficient evidence exists to secure a murder conviction" Drummond wrote in a press release announcing the decision.
Don Knight, Glossip's attorney, said he expected the case would be over by now.
"[Drummond] reached out to me," he said on Thursday. "I didn't reach out to him. We didn't discuss a plea bargain. He discussed how we were going to settle this matter, to make sure that Mr. Glossip didn't sue the state when the case was returned to the Oklahoma District Court."
Knight stressed a need for urgency in the case because he said Glossip's health is deteriorating. Knight would not elaborate on his concerns or say whether they are physical or mental.
Knight also refused to comment on Coyle's recusal, and would not verify whether he had requested she remove herself from Glossip's case.
Coyle earlier denied a bond request made by Glossip's attorneys, writing the state had shown clear and convincing evidence of his guilt. Glossip had sought to be released from the Oklahoma County Detention Center while waiting for a trial date. It would be his third trial for a 1997 murder accusation that has twice landed him on death row.
Rep. Justin Humphrey, a Republican from Lane, attended Thursday's status conference at which Coyle recused herself. Humphrey has been a staunch advocate for Glossip's release.
"I think there's quite a bit of evidence to show that there was an agreement," he said. "I think they should hold the AG to his agreement."
Humphrey said Knight told him the defense requested Coyle be removed from the case because of her ties to the District Attorney's Office, which has become increasingly involved in the case.
Coyle formerly worked as an assistant district attorney in Oklahoma County for more than two decades. Immediately following her recusal, Glossip's case was moved under the purview of Judge Kathryn Savage.
Savage also has a connection to the District Attorney's Office, as do more than one-third of Oklahoma County's 14 district judges.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office said Drummond had no comment on Coyle's decision or what prompted it.
"We remain eager to take this case to trial," said Phil Bacharach, the director of communications for Drummond's office.
A new status hearing for Glossip's case, this time in Savage's courtroom, is set for Sep. 4 at 9 a.m.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
