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. Ward's case, and others, have been the. 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. "Tommy is the epitome of great music. 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. Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. To the extent that this could be the next Sinatra of our time." 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. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. When you read their briefs, they dont take issue with the fact that this information was withheld from him. I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. Fontenot, 57 and Tommy Ward, 61, were both twice convicted in Haraways murder. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019 by a federal judge in Muskogee, and that courts ruling was upheld last year by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. The 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. We are pressing forward exploring the possibility of going to federal court with additional appeals, Barrett said. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. 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. 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. 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. 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. 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 . 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. 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. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenots alibi and other suspects in the murder provided solid proof of his probable innocence. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. Critically acclaimed singer, musician, and entertainer. Ward's newly released EP "From This Moment On," (2022) produced by LeCoq Records, showcases his stunning vocal abilities . 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. Haraway was working as a clerk in a convenience store when she went missing in Ada in 1984. Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. 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. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. 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. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. Ward was featured in the Netflix. info@tommywardmusic.com | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. 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. She was 24. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. 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. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. 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 a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. 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. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. 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.. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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. FILE - This photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections shows Tommy Ward, who has spent 35 years in prison in a murder case featured in the book and television series 'The Innocent. News 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. 19 talking about this. 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.. 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. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. 7726 5241 Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US Are allowed finish! 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. 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. Fontenot. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. 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. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. - QUINCY JONES, 27 time GRAMMY-award-winning producer "A fine singer A lovely, silky voice." More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. Ward and Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. We cant do it without your support. Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. 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. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. 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'. Oct 28, 2022. 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. Please refer to our. Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. The. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. 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. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . We promise to never spam you. "Everything about their confession has been proven wrong by the discovery of the body," attorney Janet Davis noted in the documentary. An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. Tommy Ward. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. 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. More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. 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. 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. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . He reminds me of working with Frank Sinatra in some strange way." In June this year, the US Supreme Court refused to take up the case and to examine the states appeal. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. The two insisted they were innocent, but still ended up convicted of Haraway's murder. Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. 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. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Ward and co-defendant Karl Fontenot's initial convictions and death sentences for Harways death were overturned, but both were again convicted on retrial with Fontenot again receiving a death sentence and Ward being sentenced to life in prison. Fontenot was sentenced to death again but Ward was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Oklahoman. 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. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. 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. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. 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. The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. Share. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. 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. Additional reporting by The Associated Press. 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. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. 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. 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. 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. 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. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre.
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