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The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. The appeals court did task the district court with handling a remaining claim from Wards team, according to which newly discovered evidence requires his conviction to be vacated. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. You can opt-out at any time. Read: Attorney General's Office Appeals Ruling That Would Vacate Sentence Of Tommy Ward, In Tuesdays filing, attorneys representing Ward argued the district judges ruling was fair and reasonable and echoed the judge that the withheld evidence creates a reasonable probability that the outcome would be different.. Tommy's legal team dedicated to freeing Tommy Ward from prison for a crime he did not commit.. 7726 5241 Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US Are allowed finish! Oct 28, 2022. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019 by a federal judge in Muskogee, and that courts ruling was upheld last year by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. The Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower courts ruling that he be released. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . She was 24. Since the age of 16, Ward has had the opportunity to work alongside industry veterans and legends. Ward and co-defendant Karl Fontenot's initial convictions and death sentences for Harways death were overturned, but both were again convicted on retrial with Fontenot again receiving a death sentence and Ward being sentenced to life in prison. The Court of Criminal Appeals ruled Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 that 60-year-old Tommy Ward remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower court's ruling. The investigators seem to have taken on the role of prosecutor, judge and jury, determining that the only relevant evidence was evidence that fit their theory of the case.. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. And the prosecutorial misconduct did not end with the trial: over the next thirty years, the State continued to withhold evidence, releasing it piecemeal only when compelled to do so by multiple court orders, the lawyers told the court. The response filed by Fontenots lawyers this week said the vast majority of evidence that the state claims was available in the 1980s was actually being suppressed by the state. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. Haraway had been shot rather than stabbed, was 20 miles away from where the men said her body had been dumped, and she had been wearing different clothes than those Ward and Fontenot described. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. Evidence presented to exonerate Fontenot had been available since Fontenots trials in the 1980s, the state said, arguing that the high court should accept the caseto clarify that new evidence means newly discovered or newly available evidence as opposed to newly presented evidence. Per The Associated Press, the convictions were based almost entirely on accounts they said they retrieved from dreams, and came after hours of interrogation by Ada police and state agents desperate to solve the disappearance of Haraway in 1984, just two years after the unsolved rape and murder of another young woman in the small central Oklahoma town.. News 9s Barry Mangold will have more on the story on News 9 at 10 p.m. Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox! attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Read: Attorney General's Office Appeals Ruling That Would Vacate Sentence Of Tommy Ward, In Tuesdays filing, attorneys representing Ward argued the district judges ruling was fair and reasonable and echoed the judge that the withheld evidence creates a reasonable probability that the outcome would be different.. The state of Oklahoma engaged in an egregious, decades-long pattern of prosecutorial misconduct to ensure that the facts of Karl Fontenots innocence never came to light, Fontenots legal team told the court. Later that year, an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Agent interviewed Tommy Ward, who said he, Karl Fontenot, and another man robbed the store Haraway worked at, then stabbed and raped. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. Along with co-defendant Tommy Ward, Karl Fontenot was convicted twice in the kidnapping and murder of Donna Denise Haraway from an Ada convenience store in 1984 and sentenced to life without. Courtesy. Tommy Ward is still behind bars waiting for an appeal. The judge also called the evidence against Ward circumstantial and said nearly all of the details in his confession were inaccurate. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. Fontenots attorneys have argued that many of the inaccurate details of his confession were supplied by detectives from the Ada Police Department and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Haraways body was located after the convictions. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! John Grisham continues to correspond with both men. Ward was featured in the Netflix documentary and John Grisham book An Innocent Man. Ward along with Karl Fontenot were convicted of killing Denice Haraway back in the 1980s. Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. But a Pontotoc County district judge ruled last month that prosecutors withheld key evidence in the case, including witness interviews and police reports, and ordered Wards release. Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. Ward was featured in the Netflix documentary and John Grisham book An Innocent Man. Ward along with Karl Fontenot were convicted of killing Denice Haraway back in the 1980s. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. a man whose murder conviction in Oklahoma was overturned, Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984, which became a Netflix documentary series, Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot, Human remains found, Oklahoma white supremacist leader might be connected, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. "Everything about their confession has been proven wrong by the discovery of the body," attorney Janet Davis noted in the documentary. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. More to come. Newly filed court documents reveal that a man who was one of the subjects of "The Innocent Man" is set to be released from prison. The young woman's disappearance sparked decades of controversy as police scrambled to solve the crime, leading to the convictions of two men: Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. The order is the latest in a string of decisions rebuking the convictions of Ward and Karl Fontenot for an infamous 1984 murder documented in two books and a recent Netflix documentary. Im still holding out hope that the attorney general of Oklahoma will change course here, take a close look at the case, said Greg Swygert, one of Wards attorneys. Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. They cant. 19 talking about this. Ward and a co-defendant, Karl Fontenot, were convicted and sentenced to life in prison in the 1984 kidnapping and killing of Donna Denice Haraway, a convenience store clerk in Ada, Oklahoma. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. The Pontotoc County District Attorneys office relied solely on investigators to provide it with the evidence needed to prosecute the case without questioning whether the investigators had turned over all exculpatory and/or impeachment evidence, Judge Paula Inge wrote in her December order. We cant do it without your support. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. Fight for his release from jail crime Netflix Series was released back in 2018, and temporary. The convictions of Ward and Fontenot have come under intense scrutiny for years and have been the subject of numerous books, including John Grishams The Innocent Man, which he produced into a six-part documentary. 2022 Reader's Choice Winners . In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. Raising the same general categories on post-conviction that one raised on direct appeal, even if the basis is different, will result in a procedural bar," according to the state court's opinion. A prisoner featured in the Netflix documentary series The Innocent Man has had his murder conviction and life sentence reinstated after previously being granted relief. featured in the book and television series, Reports: 3 children dead, 2 wounded in attack at Texas home, Kellyanne Conway, George Conway To Divorce After Decadeslong Marriage: Report, School punished teen girl for working out in sports bra in 100-degree Texas heat, ACLU says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, 'Extremely dangerous': Spike in illegal crossings at Canada-Vermont border has feds sounding alarm. Tommy Ward. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. She doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. Fontenot was sentenced to death again but Ward was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Oklahoman. Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. info@tommywardmusic.com | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. The ruling came down Friday from District Judge Paula Inge in Pontotoc County, who concluded in post-conviction finding that the case rested on circumstantial evidence in the form of conflicted witness statements and Wards inculpatory statements he gave to police. Tommy Ward one of the subjects of Netflix's true-crime docuseries "The Innocent Man," who was convicted of abduction, rape and the murder of an Oklahoma woman is to be released from . Courtesy Netflix. News 9s Barry Mangold will have more on the story on News 9 at 10 p.m. Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox! This photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections shows Tommy Ward, who has spent 35 years in prison in a murder case featured in the book and television series The Innocent Man'. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. The conclusion of "The Innocent Man" docu-series notes that Ward's post-conviction filing has been opposed by the state, but that a judge will review the case in 2019. ADVERTISEMENT Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. Yale University Honors 9-Year-Old Scientist, Water Main Break In Tulsa Forces Limited Road Closure, Metro Summer Youth Camp Hopes To Prevent Violence In The Community, OKC Thunder, Big Brothers & Big Sisters Host Clinic For Kids At Park, TCSO, 'Color Free America' Hold Dialogue Between Citizens And Law Enforcement, First Responders Host Recruitment Fair In Tulsa, Doctors Warn Dangers Of Cannabis Edibles For Children. The Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower court's ruling that he be released. By: Dana Hertneky. Both are model prisoners. Tweet In her 2020 ruling vacating Wards conviction, Judge Inge pointed to what she said were issues with the evidence in the case, and deemed that due to the passage of time, Ward would not be able to receive a fair trial. The state of Oklahoma filed a petition in the U.S. Supreme Court in January arguing that a federal law placing strict time limits on appeals should have barred the claims made in 2016 by Fontenot. The attorneys claim a trove of hundreds of new documents uncovered in a police storage room back up Fontenots claims of innocence. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. FILE - This photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections shows Tommy Ward, who has spent 35 years in prison in a murder case featured in the book and television series 'The Innocent. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. It was based on the 2006 true-crime book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. After Haraways remains were found in 1986 in rural Hughes County, forensic analysis showed that many of the details in Fontenots and Wards confessions were wrong. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . More to come. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. To the extent that this could be the next Sinatra of our time." Ward was featured in the Netflix. The courts exhaustively reviewed voluminous amounts of withheld exculpatory evidence and correctly concluded that this is the rare case in which a habeas petitioner has credibly demonstrated actual innocence, the lawyers said. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. Tommy Ward, 61, and Karl Fontenot, 58, were . His previous EPs "Forget Me Not" and "Merry Christmas" both reached the Top 10 on iTunes jazz charts on the first day of their release. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . The case was the subject of the book, The Dreams of Ada, by Robert Mayer, and was also described in John Grishams The Innocent Man, which became a Netflix documentary series. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. Ward had told police Haraway, 24, was stabbed and buried, but her skull, found more than a year after her disappearance, showed evidence of a gunshot wound and no evidence of stabbing, according to an autopsy. The circumstances surrounding Ward and Fontenot's confessions were suspicious from the start, and in fact were later proved to be inconsistent with what had actually happened to Haraway: Her body was ultimately found years after she vanished, 30 miles away from where the duo said they had deposited it. All rights reserved. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Ward and Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. The convictions of Ward and Fontenot have been the subject of numerous books, including John Grishams The Innocent Man, which he produced into a six-part documentary. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. Both judges found the defendants constitutional rights were violated by police and prosecutors who until 2019 didnt turn over more than 300 pages of documents that would have helped the defendants. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. Critically acclaimed singer, musician, and entertainer. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. Tommy Ward andKarl Fontenot were sentenced to death in 1985 for the murder of Denice Haraway, despite the fact that their confessions didn't match the crime they were accused of. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. remains wrongfully imprisoned . Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. The only evidence the state used in convicting Ward was a confession that he later claimed was spun wildly from a dream he reported, and only came out after intense pressure and hours of brutal interrogation. The ruling, dated Friday, said the withheld evidence, which included witness interviews and police reports, had been available to Ward's defense since 2003 and was not included in Ward's direct appeal after his 1999 conviction. Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. The state Attorney Generals office appealed the order to overturn Fontenots conviction in federal court and has now announced its intent to appeal the order to release Ward. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. You can opt-out at any time. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. In 2020, Fontenot's co-defendant in the case, Tommy Ward, also had his conviction overturned in state court, but prosecutors have appealed that decision to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Lawyers for a man whose murder conviction in Oklahoma was overturned after he served more than three decades in prison urged the U.S. Supreme Court this week not to grant the states request to review the case. Wards and Fontenots convictions were featured in the John Grisham 2006 book The Innocent Man and a 2018 Netflix series of the same name, as well as the 1987 book Dreams of Ada by Robert Mayer. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. @WardInnocentMan. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine a light on darkness in Oklahoma? Tommy Ward one of the subjects of Netflixs true-crime docuseries The Innocent Man, who was convicted of abduction, rape and the murder of an Oklahoma woman is to be released from prison (where he was sentenced to life) and all charges against him dismissed, Wards legal team announced Saturday. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? Hes very disappointed that hes still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Wards attorney Mark Barrett told The Associated Press on Tuesday (30 August), adding that the legal team is pressing forward and exploring the possibility of going to federal court.. He is currently serving time at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy in Oklahoma. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A man who has spent 35 years in prison in a murder case featured in the book and television series The Innocent Man must remain incarcerated even after a judge ordered his release, an appeals court ruled Thursday. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. OK man arrested for. By, 'Deeply tainted': Oklahoma conservatives call for moratorium, abolition of the death penalty, Sheriff, jail health care provider seek public money to increase staff after two women died, AG Drummond orders independent counsel to review Glossip death penalty case, Oklahoma Attorney General requests more time in between executions. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release." The conclusion of "The Innocent Man" docu-series notes that Ward's post-conviction filing has been opposed by the state, but that a judge will review the case in 2019. In a motion and brief filed Monday on behalf of Tommy Ward, one of two men convicted of Haraway's murder in Ada and who was featured in the John Grisham book the Innocent Man and 2018 Netflix. The tribulations faced by the pair are depicted in Netflix's latest true crime docu-series, "The Innocent Man," based on the John Grisham book of the same name. Please refer to our. Which they did after I taped the statement," Fontenot said almost immediately after his interrogation, as described in Grisham's book. The six-part docuseries series, based on John Grishams 2006 best-selling non-fiction book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, tells the story of Ronald Keith Williamson, a man wrongfully convicted of rape and murder who spent 11 years on death row before he was exonerated. The. John 3:16. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, A judge reversed the conviction of Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, in 2020, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile, Tommy Ward in the 2018 Netflix docuseries The Innocent Man'. Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, The order is the latest in a string of decisions rebuking the convictions of Ward and Karl Fontenot for an infamous 1984 murder documented in two books and a recent Netflix documentary. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. Please refer to our. At time of writing, he is still serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole, and is now 54 years old. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. It also accounts the false convictions of Ward and Karl Fontenot for themurder of Denice Haraway and the false conviction of Greg Wilhoit for the rape and murder of his estranged wife. We promise to never spam you. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Ward and a co-defendant, Karl Fontenot, were convicted and sentenced to life in prison in the 1984 kidnapping and killing of Donna Denice Haraway, a convenience store clerk in Ada, Oklahoma. Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. have asked the court of appeals . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and filming for Halloween Ends to release on October 14, 2022 with! I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. The Oklahoma Innocence Project, an organization that helps to exonerate those wrongfully convicted, attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, but itsappeals were denied in 2015. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Ward and a co-defendant, Karl Fontenot, were convicted and sentenced to life in prison in the 1984 kidnapping and killing of Donna Denice Haraway, a convenience store clerk in Ada, Oklahoma. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - Convicted murderer Tommy Ward has filed a brief in response to the Attorney General's motion to keep him locked up in prison. Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. Fontenot, Wards co-defendant, was ordered released by a federal judge in 2019, and the state is also appealing that order. Ive never been in jail or had a police record in my life and no one in my face telling me Id killed a pretty woman, that Im going to get the death penalty, so I told them the story hoping they would leave me alone. Fontenot, now 57,was tried twice and given the death penalty both times, though a retrial error led to a new sentence of life without parole.