Glynn Simmons, a man who maintained his innocence for nearly 50 years is finally able to breathe a breath of fresh air after the Oklahoma County District Attorney announced she requested to have the case dismissed on Monday.
In an interview with The Black Wall Street Times ahead of the afternoon announcement, Simmons, who has been battling liver cancer, was at a loss for words.
“I’m happy, and I’m free. It’s a long, long struggle. I don’t know man. I’m not usually at a loss for words. Not something you can describe,” Simmons told The Black Wall Street Times.
In 1975, Glynn Simmons was chosen out of a police line up as the person who shot two women at an Edmond liqour store a year earlier. Yet, for half a century he’s claimed he was never even in the state at the time of the shooting.
His attorney says the victim also chose other people out of the line up, a fact that the police and prosecutors never presented to a jury or the defense team from the trial phase through the appeal phase. Newly elected Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna, a Democrat, vacated his conviction earlier this year and ordered a new trial.
On Monday, DA Behenna announced her office did not have enough evidence to move forward with a new trial. Simmons will no longer have to worry about another trial.
Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna (Facebook)
Oklahoma County DA moves to dismiss case against Glynn Simmons
Simmons could’ve been set for execution after his trial. He spent several years on Oklahoma’s death row. Ultimately, he was sentenced to life in prison.
An anti-death penalty advocacy group released a statement immediately after the announcement of Simmons’ case being dismissed.
“78% of Oklahomans support a halt to executions,” said Abraham Bonowitz, Executive Director of Death Penalty Action. “It’s cases like this that should give us all pause about continuing executions in Oklahoma, and that’s why Governor Stitt Should reprieve next week’s scheduled execution of Anthony Sanchez, so his new legal team has time to review and present newly discovered evidence that could show his innocence.”
GoFundMe created to support Simmons
Now, as a free man, Simmons said he doesn’t hold a grudge, but he does want society to transform the criminal legal system. For instance, he wants to see the country eliminate procedural hurdles that prevent prisoners from bringing up new evidence after a certain phase.
“They did it to me for 25 years. I gave them notice 25 years ago” that he had evidence pointing to his innocence, Glynn Simmons said.
“We need to reimagine justice and how we do it.”
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Death Penalty Action says it has raised over $10,000 so far to support Simmons’ transition back into society.
“After nearly five decades of wrongful incarceration, including several years facing execution, this man has nothing, so we’re inviting the public to help give him a running start while he waits for his formal exoneration and whatever compensation might eventually come from the state,” Bonowitz said.
by Deon Osborne
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