Witness In Glossip Appeal Arrested In Rogers County

Wednesday, September 23rd 2015, 7:09 pm

By: Dana Hertneky

Attorneys for Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip are livid claiming prosecutors are intimidating their witnesses. This comes after Rogers County deputies arrest a man who came forward in saying he overheard in prison that Glossip was set up.

Defense attorneys say Michael Scott was arrested by deputies with guns drawn Tuesday afternoon after a warrant was issued that same day over a $200 dollar unpaid fine and failure to complete community service related to a recent DUI arrest.

Scott became a key player in the Richard Glossip case after he contacted defense attorneys saying he overheard Justin Sneed bragging in prison that he set Glossip up. Sneed killed Barry Van Treese but testified Glossip was the mastermind behind the murder.

Glossip's attorneys filed paperwork Wednesday, asking the court to mandate the state stop intimidating witnesses. According to the filing, when Scott was arrested, there were "at least 10-15 officers involved in this arrest, both at his mother's place of employment and his house”. At the police station "Mr. Scott, still in handcuffs, was placed in a chair in the interrogation room," and "Oklahoma Count District Attorney David Prater and an investigator...entered the room and began interrogating Mr. Scott."

The filing goes on to say that Mr. Prater told Scott “as soon as he learned that Mr. Scott may be in violation, he told authorities in Rogers County to issue a warrant for Scott’s arrest. Mr. Prater specifically told Mr. Scott that he ordered this action so that Scott would be forced to talk with Prater and his investigator.”

“You’ve probably got a combined 100 years’ experience between the three of us and we’ve never heard of something so outrageous,” said Glossip’s attorney Don Knight referring to himself and Glossip’s two other attorneys. “These are witnesses; they’re not defendants or suspects. They came forward on their own volition because they had information they thought was important before the state killed an innocent man and this is how they’re treated?”

Prater has been public about his desire to question defense witnesses in the case and Wednesday says he recently attempted to reach Michael Scott to see if he would voluntarily talk with him about the Glossip case. “I wanted to visit with him about what was in the affidavit to see what the truth is,” said Prater.

Prater, however, wouldn't comment on if he spoke to Scott after his recent arrest.

A second man has also come forward in the past week saying he shared a cell with Justin Sneed and Sneed also indicated to him he alone committed the murder. In the court filing that man says after he told DA Prater he wouldn't talk to him a warrant was also issued for his arrest.

9/16/15 Related Story: Court Of Appeals Grants Stay Of Execution For Richard Glossip