Share. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. Tommy Ward to be set free . 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. Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. Courtesy. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. When you read their briefs, they dont take issue with the fact that this information was withheld from him. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenots alibi and other suspects in the murder provided solid proof of his probable innocence. Ward's newly released EP "From This Moment On," (2022) produced by LeCoq Records, showcases his stunning vocal abilities . Fontenot was sentenced to death again but Ward was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Oklahoman. 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. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. 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 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. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. 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 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. Share Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and filming for Halloween Ends to release on October 14, 2022 with! Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. 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. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. The 10th U.S. Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. 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! Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. All rights reserved. Fontenot, 57 and Tommy Ward, 61, were both twice convicted in Haraways murder. Haraways body was located after the convictions. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . 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. 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. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. 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. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. Since the age of 16, Ward has had the opportunity to work alongside industry veterans and legends. 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. In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. 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. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. OK man arrested for. Courtesy Netflix. Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. The Innocent Man, released by Netflix in 2018, looked at two murder cases having taken place in Ada in the 1980s, including the one which resulted in Wards conviction. We cant do it without your support. I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. 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. The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. 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 . The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. 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. 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'. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? We promise to never spam you. 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.. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. 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. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. The attorneys claim a trove of hundreds of new documents uncovered in a police storage room back up Fontenots claims of innocence. Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Appeals Release Of Tommy Ward. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. Tommy Ward. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. 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. 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. We promise to never spam you. 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. Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, 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. 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. 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. 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. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS 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.. As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. 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. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. 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. - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. Tommy Ward has been in prison for 35 years and was supposed to be released today after a judge dismissed Ward's murder conviction. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. 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. 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. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. 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. Mark Barrett and Greg Swygert , the attorneys representing Tommy Ward, spoke with The Frontier this week about the status of Ward's case to have his 1989 murder conviction and life sentence. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. The. mail 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. 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. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. However, court documents filed on Monday (29 August) show that on Friday (26 August), Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the judges decision and reinstated Wards conviction. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. 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. 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! Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. The most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. "Tommy is the epitome of great music. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. 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. 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. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. More to come. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. Tommy Ward, 61, and Karl Fontenot, 58, were . Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. More to come. 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. More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. 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. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. But now, Wards release has been blocked by the state Attorney Generals Office. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. 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. "Everything about their confession has been proven wrong by the discovery of the body," attorney Janet Davis noted in the documentary. Tommy's legal team dedicated to freeing Tommy Ward from prison for a crime he did not commit.. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. info@tommywardmusic.com | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. 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. - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. PublishedDecember 26, 2020 at 10:50 AM CST, KGOU | She was 24. Please refer to our. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. 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.. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. 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'. 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.

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