Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . 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 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. 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 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. Courtesy. Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. 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.. have asked the court of appeals . Please refer to our. Tommy Ward. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. @WardInnocentMan. 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. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? Ward was featured in the Netflix. OK man arrested for. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice 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. 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. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. 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. Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. 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. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. 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. 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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. 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. 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. Haraways body was located after the convictions. 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. 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 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. 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 Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. 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. 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. 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. Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and filming for Halloween Ends to release on October 14, 2022 with! 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. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. 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. - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. Tommy Ward to be set free . 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. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. 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. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. 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. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. In June this year, the US Supreme Court refused to take up the case and to examine the states appeal. Tommy's legal team dedicated to freeing Tommy Ward from prison for a crime he did not commit.. Oct 28, 2022. Tweet 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. She was 24. The judge also called the evidence against Ward circumstantial and said nearly all of the details in his confession were inaccurate. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. 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. 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. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. mail Wr Hines Ward - NFL.com /a > attorneys representing Tommy Ward was one of two serving! 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. "Everything about their confession has been proven wrong by the discovery of the body," attorney Janet Davis noted in the documentary. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. The convictions were based almost entirely on accounts they said they retrieved from dreams. Haraway was working as a clerk in a convenience store when she went missing in Ada in 1984. Fontenot, 57 and Tommy Ward, 61, were both twice convicted in Haraways murder. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. Share Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. 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.. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. Fontenot. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. Ada store clerk Denice Haraway was abducted and killed on April 28, 1984. . 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. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. 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. 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'. Please refer to our. He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine a light on darkness in Oklahoma? His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . 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. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. 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. And the prosecutorial misconduct did not end with the trial: over the next thirty years, the State continued to withhold evidence, releasing it piecemeal only when compelled to do so by multiple court orders, the lawyers told the court. The 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. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. You can opt-out at any time. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! But now, Wards release has been blocked by the state Attorney Generals Office. The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. More to come. The. They cant. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. 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. 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. 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. Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. 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. 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. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. You can opt-out at any time. Ward had told police Haraway, 24, was stabbed and buried, but her skull, found more than a year after her disappearance, showed evidence of a gunshot wound and no evidence of stabbing, according to an autopsy. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. 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.. 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'. 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. An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Appeals Release Of Tommy Ward. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. 19 talking about this. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals, however, argued that the district court had abused its discretion in that instance. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. 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. 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. 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. 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. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. Fontenot was sentenced to death again but Ward was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Oklahoman. 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. 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. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. 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 Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. 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. 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. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. 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. Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. 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. Since the age of 16, Ward has had the opportunity to work alongside industry veterans and legends. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. 2022 Reader's Choice Winners . 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. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. 7726 5241 Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US Are allowed finish! We are pressing forward exploring the possibility of going to federal court with additional appeals, Barrett said. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. 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. More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. 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.
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