Glynn Simmons, Exonerated After 48 Years, Dies at 72
By @sharedot · · 6 pages
- True Crime
- Exoneration
- Glynn Simmons
- Oklahoma
Glynn Simmons, America's longest-serving wrongfully convicted exoneree, died Wednesday at 72, just three years after winning his freedom.
A Record Life, Cut Short Three Years After Freedom
Glynn Simmons died Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at age 72, according to a family statement released that night.
Simmons spent 48 years, five months and 18 days in an Oklahoma prison for a crime he did not commit — the longest wrongful imprisonment of any exoneree in American history, per The National Registry of Exonerations. He was released in July 2023 and officially exonerated in January 2024.
His family said he passed 'home to be with the Lord' in the morning, and asked for privacy as arrangements are announced later.
The Crime He Always Said He Didn't Commit
Simmons was wrongfully convicted of the 1974 murder of Carolyn Sue Rogers at an Edmond liquor store, and he maintained until the end that he was 700 miles away in Harvey, Louisiana, celebrating the holidays when the killing occurred.
He was released after prosecutors agreed that key evidence had not been turned over to his defense attorneys, and an Oklahoma County judge declared him actually innocent in December 2023.
KOCO reports he sued Edmond, Oklahoma City and the officers involved, claiming they falsified and suppressed exonerating evidence, with no physical evidence ever linking him to the crime.
A Fighter to the End, His Attorney Says
News 9 reports Simmons died following a battle with cancer. His attorney, Joseph Norwood, confirmed the death and remembered him in a statement: 'Glynn Simmons was a fighter.
When he came to me to represent him, he was fighting for his life... Once we got him out, he was immediately faced with another fight, his cancer, which ultimately took him.
He fought it to the end.' Norwood added he was proud to have helped Simmons regain 'the years of freedom he had.'
News 9 notes Simmons had been free for approximately three years before his passing.
A $7.15 Million Settlement and a Legacy in Oklahoma
In August 2024, the Edmond City Council reached a $7.15 million settlement with Simmons over his wrongful conviction, though his claims against Oklahoma City defendants were set to continue.
His family's statement emphasized what he built after freedom: 'When Glynn walked free, he could have left Oklahoma. He chose to stay.
He said he wanted to build a legacy here.' The family said he carried 'an attitude of gratitude,' never let bitterness have the last word, and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior on Sunday, October 25, days before he died.