By: Dana Hertneky. John Grisham continues to correspond with both men. 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. The. 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. 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. Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. 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'. But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenots alibi and other suspects in the murder provided solid proof of his probable innocence. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. 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. An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. She doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. The attorneys claim a trove of hundreds of new documents uncovered in a police storage room back up Fontenots claims of innocence. 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. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. 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. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. 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. Share. Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. 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. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. 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. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. 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.. 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. They cant. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS Fontenot was sentenced to death again but Ward was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Oklahoman. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. Ada store clerk Denice Haraway was abducted and killed on April 28, 1984. . 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. "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. You can opt-out at any time. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. 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. The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. 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. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. Fontenot, now 57,was tried twice and given the death penalty both times, though a retrial error led to a new sentence of life without parole. 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. 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. Fontenot. To the extent that this could be the next Sinatra of our time." News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. 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. In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. 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 six-part docuseries series, based on John Grishams 2006 best-selling non-fiction book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, tells the story of Ronald Keith Williamson, a man wrongfully convicted of rape and murder who spent 11 years on death row before he was exonerated. Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. Both Ward and . He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. 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. She was 24. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals, however, argued that the district court had abused its discretion in that instance. At time of writing, he is still serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole, and is now 54 years old. Critically acclaimed singer, musician, and entertainer. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. 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. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. 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. Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. 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. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. 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. 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. Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. The two insisted they were innocent, but still ended up convicted of Haraway's murder. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. 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. Tommy Ward is still behind bars waiting for an appeal. Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. More to come. 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. 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. We promise to never spam you. Tommy Ward, 61, and Karl Fontenot, 58, were . 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 was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. 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. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. 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. This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death. 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.. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. Additional reporting by The Associated Press. 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. It was based on the 2006 true-crime book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. Please refer to our. Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. Wr Hines Ward - NFL.com /a > attorneys representing Tommy Ward was one of two serving! Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . mail Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. Ward's case, and others, have been the. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. Which they did after I taped the statement," Fontenot said almost immediately after his interrogation, as described in Grisham's book. 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. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . 7726 5241 Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US Are allowed finish! 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. remains wrongfully imprisoned . Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. Tommy Ward to be set free . Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. 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 . Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . . 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. Fontenot, Wards co-defendant, was ordered released by a federal judge in 2019, and the state is also appealing that order. 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. 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'. Tommy Ward. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? 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. Haraways body was located after the convictions. 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. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. 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. 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. 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. 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. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. A spokeswoman for Attorney General John OConnor declined to comment on the pending cases. 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. 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 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. We promise to never spam you. Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. 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. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. Tweet Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. 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.. The investigators seem to have taken on the role of prosecutor, judge and jury, determining that the only relevant evidence was evidence that fit their theory of the case.. Courtesy Netflix. 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. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. 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. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. Please refer to our. The judge also called the evidence against Ward circumstantial and said nearly all of the details in his confession were inaccurate. 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. All rights reserved. Ward and Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. You can opt-out at any time. The most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. 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. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. 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 has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. 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.
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