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Please refer to our. Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. 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. Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. 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! You can opt-out at any time. You can opt-out at any time. Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. 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. 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. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. We promise to never spam you. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. More to come. Tommy Ward is still behind bars waiting for an appeal. 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 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. When you read their briefs, they dont take issue with the fact that this information was withheld from him. 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. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. 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. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and filming for Halloween Ends to release on October 14, 2022 with! Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. 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.. 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. 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. Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. 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's case, and others, have been the. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. We promise to never spam you. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. Tommy Ward has been in prison for 35 years and was supposed to be released today after a judge dismissed Ward's murder conviction. 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. @WardInnocentMan. 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. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. 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 judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenots alibi and other suspects in the murder provided solid proof of his probable innocence. Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. 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. - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. 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. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. 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 parole. 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. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. 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! 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. However, she would never be seen alive again. 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. In June this year, the US Supreme Court refused to take up the case and to examine the states appeal. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. Wr Hines Ward - NFL.com /a > attorneys representing Tommy Ward was one of two serving! Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. 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. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Appeals Release Of Tommy Ward. 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. Please refer to our. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. 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. Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals, however, argued that the district court had abused its discretion in that instance. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. 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 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. The judge also called the evidence against Ward circumstantial and said nearly all of the details in his confession were inaccurate. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. 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 Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. . Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed 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. 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. John Grisham continues to correspond with both men. The case was the subject of the book, The Dreams of Ada, by Robert Mayer, and was also described in John Grishams The Innocent Man, which became a Netflix documentary series. Fontenot was sentenced to death again but Ward was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Oklahoman. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. 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. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. featured in the book and television series, Reports: 3 children dead, 2 wounded in attack at Texas home, Kellyanne Conway, George Conway To Divorce After Decadeslong Marriage: Report, School punished teen girl for working out in sports bra in 100-degree Texas heat, ACLU says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, 'Extremely dangerous': Spike in illegal crossings at Canada-Vermont border has feds sounding alarm. The 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. Both are model prisoners. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. 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. 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. The two insisted they were innocent, but still ended up convicted of Haraway's murder. 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. 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. Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . A spokeswoman for Attorney General John OConnor declined to comment on the pending cases. 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. 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. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. At time of writing, he is still serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole, and is now 54 years old. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. The Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower courts ruling that he be released. 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. The most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . 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. 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 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. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. 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. 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. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. 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.. Since the age of 16, Ward has had the opportunity to work alongside industry veterans and legends. Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. mail 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.. 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. 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. Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. Additional reporting by The Associated Press. A prisoner featured in the Netflix documentary series The Innocent Man has had his murder conviction and life sentence reinstated after previously being granted relief. The 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. Courtesy Netflix. "Everything about their confession has been proven wrong by the discovery of the body," attorney Janet Davis noted in the documentary. 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. Tweet Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. 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 . I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. But now, Wards release has been blocked by the state Attorney Generals Office. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. He is currently serving time at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy in Oklahoma. 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. 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.. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Ward's newly released EP "From This Moment On," (2022) produced by LeCoq Records, showcases his stunning vocal abilities . Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. remains wrongfully imprisoned . Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. 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. 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. 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.