Tommy Ward, who was convicted twice for the 1984 kidnapping and murder of Ada convenience store clerk Donna "Denise" Haraway, had his conviction and life sentence overturned and was ordered to. 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. 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. Both are model prisoners. 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. More to come. The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. 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. John 3:16. 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. Both Ward and . 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. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. 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. "Tommy is the epitome of great music. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. 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. 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. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals, however, argued that the district court had abused its discretion in that instance. Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. Tommy Ward has been in prison for 35 years and was supposed to be released today after a judge dismissed Ward's murder conviction. Please refer to our. 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. We promise to never spam you. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. Since the age of 16, Ward has had the opportunity to work alongside industry veterans and legends. 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. Ward's most recent recording, "Home" with GRAMMY nominated country artist Mark Winston Kirk, is currently in the Top 100 on regional radio and is being played in more than 15 states across the United States, including Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. remains wrongfully imprisoned . Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. News 9 Team Holds Severe Weather Expo At Penn Square Mall, Sauced On The Paseo Re-Opens 2 Years After Fire, Read Across America Celebration Held At Belle Isle Library, 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 judge also called the evidence against Ward circumstantial and said nearly all of the details in his confession were inaccurate. 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. have asked the court of appeals . But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. The Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the conviction of one man in the 1984 murder of an Ada convienince store worker featured featured The Innocent Man. 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. Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. 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. 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. However, she would never be seen alive again. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. Justices should reject the states request to review the case because the evidence in this case qualifies as new evidence of actual innocence under any definition of new evidence, Fontenots lawyers argued. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. 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. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. But now, Wards release has been blocked by the state Attorney Generals Office. 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. "Everything about their confession has been proven wrong by the discovery of the body," attorney Janet Davis noted in the documentary. Tommy Ward to be set free . At 17, he and his band were one of the youngest opening acts in Las Vegas history, completing 90 shows for Billboard #1 artist and Las Vegas headliner of the year, Frankie Moreno. Ward was featured in the Netflix. The Attorney Generals office claims in its filing that Fontenot and Ward attempted to minimize their involvement in Haraways death during their confessions by saying the primary aggressor was another man who was never charged with the crime. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. He is currently serving time at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy in Oklahoma. 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. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . Which they did after I taped the statement," Fontenot said almost immediately after his interrogation, as described in Grisham's book. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . At time of writing, he is still serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole, and is now 54 years old. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Appeals Release Of Tommy Ward. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Fontenot, Wards co-defendant, was ordered released by a federal judge in 2019, and the state is also appealing that order. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. 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. Tuesday 30 August 2022 23:08 Tommy Ward in the 2018 Netflix docuseries 'The Innocent Man' (Netflix) A prisoner featured in the Netflix documentary series The Innocent Man has had his murder. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. Attorneys for a man convicted for the 1984 kidnapping and murder of an Ada woman say they plan to file a federal case to try and overturn his conviction after the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals overturned a lower court's order that would have made him a free man. 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! You can opt-out at any time. Share 19 talking about this. The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the conviction of one man in the 1984 murder of an Ada convienince store worker featured featured The Innocent Man. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Wr Hines Ward - NFL.com /a > attorneys representing Tommy Ward was one of two serving! 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. 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.. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Fight for his release from jail crime Netflix Series was released back in 2018, and temporary. 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. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. 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. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. Tweet OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has reinstated the murder conviction and life sentence of a man featured in the book and television series The Innocent Man.. Shot by Shot: Tracking Oklahoma police shootings in 2023, Listen Frontier: Sen. James Lankford speaks with The Frontier about abortion, immigration and more, Frontier content sharing and collaboration terms. PublishedDecember 26, 2020 at 10:50 AM CST, KGOU | An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Fontenot, as explained in the Netflix series, had perhaps offered his testimony to the aggressive police because he both feared for his safety and wanted to escape from what was described as poverty and homelessness. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and filming for Halloween Ends to release on October 14, 2022 with! 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. 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. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. Fontenot, 57 and Tommy Ward, 61, were both twice convicted in Haraways murder. The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. 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. 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. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. 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. At only 25 years old, he has already made a name for himself in the entertainment industry, and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. Share. He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine a light on darkness in Oklahoma? Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. 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. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? Please refer to our. Tommy's legal team dedicated to freeing Tommy Ward from prison for a crime he did not commit.. 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. Haraways body was located after the convictions. 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . It was based on the 2006 true-crime book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham. 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. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. We are pressing forward exploring the possibility of going to federal court with additional appeals, Barrett said. Ward's newly released EP From This Moment On, (2022) produced by LeCoq Records, showcases his stunning vocal abilities and features truly unique arrangements played by some of the world's most respected musicians, including Bill Cunliffe, John Pattitucci, Vinny Colaiuta, and others. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. 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. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. The two insisted they were innocent, but still ended up convicted of Haraway's murder. 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. The Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower courts ruling that he be released. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. 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. The attorneys claim a trove of hundreds of new documents uncovered in a police storage room back up Fontenots claims of innocence. Fontenot. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. 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 Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. OK man arrested for. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. 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! 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. ADVERTISEMENT Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. 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. 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. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. Additional reporting by The Associated Press. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. You can opt-out at any time. Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. We promise to never spam you. . 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 parole. The court overturned a lower court decision that said because prosecutors and police withheld evidence that could exonerate Tommy Ward, 61, of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Haraway was working as a clerk in a convenience store when she went missing in Ada in 1984. Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. 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'. Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. 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. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. Tommy Ward, 61, and Karl Fontenot, 58, were . She was 24. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. 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. 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. Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. 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.