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. 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! 7726 5241 Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US Are allowed finish! Please refer to our. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. 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. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Tommy Ward has been in prison for 35 years and was supposed to be released today after a judge dismissed Ward's murder conviction. You can opt-out at any time. The attorneys claim a trove of hundreds of new documents uncovered in a police storage room back up Fontenots claims of innocence. 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 and Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. 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. 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. Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. Tommy's legal team dedicated to freeing Tommy Ward from prison for a crime he did not commit.. 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. 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. 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. 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. However, she would never be seen alive again. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. 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. 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. Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals, however, argued that the district court had abused its discretion in that instance. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. info@tommywardmusic.com | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. 2022 Reader's Choice Winners . 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. Fontenot, Wards co-defendant, was ordered released by a federal judge in 2019, and the state is also appealing that order. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. Share 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. Ada store clerk Denice Haraway was abducted and killed on April 28, 1984. . Ward was featured in the Netflix. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him 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. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and filming for Halloween Ends to release on October 14, 2022 with! A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. 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. By: Dana Hertneky. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. Fontenot, 57 and Tommy Ward, 61, were both twice convicted in Haraways murder. Fight for his release from jail crime Netflix Series was released back in 2018, and temporary. Which they did after I taped the statement," Fontenot said almost immediately after his interrogation, as described in Grisham's book. 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. 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. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. 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. 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 . We cant do it without your support. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. John 3:16. As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. Fontenot. A spokeswoman for Attorney General John OConnor declined to comment on the pending cases. Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. 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 state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. 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. You can opt-out at any time. 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. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. 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 Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower court's ruling that he be released. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. 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. 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. Wr Hines Ward - NFL.com /a > attorneys representing Tommy Ward was one of two serving! Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. She doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. More to come. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Critically acclaimed singer, musician, and entertainer. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. mail Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. 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. 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. Please refer to our. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. 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. 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. Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. 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. The convictions were based almost entirely on accounts they said they retrieved from dreams. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. 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.. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. OK man arrested for. 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. 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. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. Courtesy Netflix. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. Ward's newly released EP "From This Moment On," (2022) produced by LeCoq Records, showcases his stunning vocal abilities . Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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'. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. 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. He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . 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. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. PublishedDecember 26, 2020 at 10:50 AM CST, KGOU | Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. remains wrongfully imprisoned . Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. They cant. The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Since the age of 16, Ward has had the opportunity to work alongside industry veterans and legends. 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. She was 24. Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine a light on darkness in Oklahoma? Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. When you read their briefs, they dont take issue with the fact that this information was withheld from him. Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Appeals Release Of Tommy Ward. 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. 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. 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. Haraways body was located after the convictions. 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. 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. 19 talking about this. The judge also called the evidence against Ward circumstantial and said nearly all of the details in his confession were inaccurate. 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. Both Ward and . I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. The two insisted they were innocent, but still ended up convicted of Haraway's murder. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. 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. 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 remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. 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. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. 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. Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. Tommy Ward to be set free . 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. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. All rights reserved. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, 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. 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, 61, and Karl Fontenot, 58, were . Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. 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'. Its clear as day.. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. We promise to never spam you. - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. 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. 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. 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. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. 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. 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. 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. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. 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. 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.. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. He reminds me of working with Frank Sinatra in some strange way." This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners.