ID has ordered docuseries “Killing Richard Glossip” from Joe Berlinger (“Paradise Lost”), the Discovery-owned cable channel said on Saturday. Investigation Discovery has also hired investigative journalist Maria Elena Salinas for a new news magazine show, “The Real Story.”
Both announcements were made this afternoon during the network’s Television Critics Association press event.
“Killing Richard Glossip” dives into the 1997 Oklahoma City murder of Barry Van Treese. Glossip, a man with no prior felony convictions, has consistently maintained his innocence, insisting that he had no knowledge that anyone planned to kill Van Treese. He’s now towards the end of his death row stay. Justin Sneed, who admitted to killing the victim and whose fingerprints were found in the room, cut a deal for a life sentence instead of risking the death penalty by telling the police that Glossip hired him to do it.
“Nine out of 10 times, the American justice system gets it right. Sadly, it’s the unpredictability of that one time it goes astray that has resulted in a staggering amount of people who claim their innocence as they sit on death row,” said Henry Schleiff, group president, Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel and Destination America. “There is a growing consensus of people worldwide that believe Richard Glossip is innocent. Consequently, this convergence of forces — including the support of filmmaker Joe Berlinger, who is no stranger to reporting on flaws in the criminal justice system — is why our team at ID feels it’s imperative to provide a platform for the public to hear all sides of the story.”
“Even if you think Richard Glossip might be guilty, his three separate trips to the execution chamber is reason enough to deeply question the sanity of the death penalty,” added Berlinger. “But when you add to the mix that the case for his innocence is so compelling, then Richard Glossip’s cruel odyssey through the justice system is a wake-up call for how broken capital punishment is in this country.”
“Killing Richard Glossip” is produced for ID by RadicalMedia. Berlinger, Dave O’Connor, Jon Kamen, Justin Wilkes and Lorna Thomas are executive producers. Betsy Wagner is the co-executive producer and Kevin Huffman is the supervising story producer.
The two-night world premiere event of “Killing Richard Glossip” debuts Sunday, March 5 at 9/8c on ID.
On “The Real Story,” Salinas will dive deep into true crime cases from the recent past. Archival footage and re-creations will complement one-on-one interviews with those closest to the case, ID said. The news magazine series from Scott Sternberg Productions and Lucky 8 TV is currently in production and will premiere soon.
“ID is thrilled to welcome Maria Elena Salinas into the fold at ID, joining our growing roster of investigative journalists, from Paula Zahn, to Chris Hansen, to Tamron Hall, to Tony Harris,” said Schleiff. “Maria Elena has become a deservedly trusted and articulate voice for Hispanic Americans at Univision — and, accordingly, we know ID’s fans will welcome her passion for finding the truth behind every crime because, as she well notes, ‘no story is as it seems.’”
“I am honored to join Investigation Discovery and its incredible line up of respectable investigative journalists,” added Salinas. “This unique news magazine gives me the opportunity to tread new ground in my investigative journalism career. I am looking forward to this opportunity that will allow me to expand my quest to tell stories that matter to a new audience while denouncing corruption, uncovering injustice and seeking the truth.”