The 10th U.S. An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . Court Extends Temporary Stay 1 Day Before Tommy Ward's Expected Release Court rules 'Innocent Man' defendant to remain imprisoned - AP NEWS 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. I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. 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. 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. 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. Please refer to our. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Wr Hines Ward - NFL.com /a > attorneys representing Tommy Ward was one of two serving! Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. Share. Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. Both are model prisoners. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. 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. 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. Judge vacates sentence; Tommy Ward to be set free Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. Both Ward and . OK man arrested for. But now, Wards release has been blocked by the state Attorney Generals Office. We promise to never spam you. 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. A spokeswoman for Attorney General John OConnor declined to comment on the pending cases. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. 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. 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. ADVERTISEMENT As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. 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. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. Since the age of 16, Ward has had the opportunity to work alongside industry veterans and legends. Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. At time of writing, he is still serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole, and is now 54 years old. 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.. These dream confessions 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. 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. Courtesy Netflix. 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. State asks U.S. Supreme Court to uphold conviction in 'Innocent Man' Oklahoma Attorney General responds to innocence claims by 'Innocent Man Additional reporting by The Associated Press. 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. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. 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. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. 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. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the judges ruling last year, saying that, Almost no evidence connected him to the crime other than his own videotaped confession, a confession that rang false in almost every particular., The appeals court said Fontenot has brought forth new evidence that is sufficient to unlock the actual innocence gateway and to allow his substantive claims to be heard on the merits. Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. 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.. Attorneys in 'Innocent Man' case eye federal court after lower court's Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. After the details of both mens confessions were proven untrue Haraways body was discovered years later in a different location and had been shot to death not stabbed as the pair had said a state appeals court ordered new trials. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. 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 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. Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. It was based on the 2006 true-crime book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Oklahoma court reinstates 'Innocent Man' murder conviction Tweet Courtesy. 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. 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. 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. Tommy Ward. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. And Mr. Fontenot has also established that evidence suppressed by the State prior to his new trial in 1988 led to a violation of his constitutional right to due process., More:Human remains found, Oklahoma white supremacist leader might be connected. Which they did after I taped the statement," Fontenot said almost immediately after his interrogation, as described in Grisham's book. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Federal appeals court upholds overturned conviction in Ada 'Innocent Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear 'Innocent Man' case The Innocent Man - Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot now - Digital Spy He reminds me of working with Frank Sinatra in some strange way." 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. More to come. 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.. Ward and Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. All rights reserved. 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. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. The. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. Judge orders release or new trial for 'Innocent Man' defendant Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. 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. remains wrongfully imprisoned . 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. He is currently serving time at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy in Oklahoma. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. 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'. Timmy Ward 2022 Gamelogs | The Football Database - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. Oklahoma court reinstates murder conviction of Tommy Ward Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. 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. 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. They cant. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. Fontenot, Wards co-defendant, was ordered released by a federal judge in 2019, and the state is also appealing that order. Its clear as day.. 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. 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. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. What Happened To Tommy Ward And Karl Fontenot? 'The Innocent Man 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. Tommy Ward - YouTube 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. Ada store clerk Denice Haraway was abducted and killed on April 28, 1984. . The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. Tommy Ward - Official Site 37 years since Ada murder, Ward still in custody - KTEN 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. 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. 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. Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine a light on darkness in Oklahoma? @WardInnocentMan. 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. 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! He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. 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. 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. We are pressing forward exploring the possibility of going to federal court with additional appeals, Barrett said. 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. 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. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. 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. You can opt-out at any time. mail Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. 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. 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. Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Prisoner seen in Netflixs The Innocent Man has conviction reinstated, refused to take up the case and to examine the states appeal, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off & extra perks with Booking.com Genius Membership, 50 cash with friend referrals at Virgin Mobile, 15% off extra plans with this Vodafone promo, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. "Tommy is the epitome of great music. She doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. In June this year, the US Supreme Court refused to take up the case and to examine the states appeal. Tommy Ward, Convicted Murderer and Subject of Netflix's 'The - TheWrap Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. Judge orders 'Innocent Man' defendant freed - Enidnews.com More to come. 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. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. To the extent that this could be the next Sinatra of our time." His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . John Grisham continues to correspond with both men. 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. Haraways body was located after the convictions. Tommy Ward - YouTube Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! tommy ward released 2022 However, she would never be seen alive again. We cant do it without your support. 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. The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. 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. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. 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. The most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. "Everything about their confession has been proven wrong by the discovery of the body," attorney Janet Davis noted in the documentary. 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 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. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. 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. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. Tommy Ward, 61, and Karl Fontenot, 58, were . The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenots alibi and other suspects in the murder provided solid proof of his probable innocence. Haraway was working as a clerk in a convenience store when she went missing in Ada in 1984. Karl Fontenot was 20 years old in 1984, when he was arrested for the rape and murder of Donna Denice Haraway along with Tommy Ward. 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.. When you read their briefs, they dont take issue with the fact that this information was withheld from him. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. 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. We promise to never spam you. Freed man in 'Dreams of Ada' case slams state appeal to Supreme Court Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. 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.
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