Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Attorneys in Ada 'Innocent Man' case request judge vacate Ward's This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. About Tommy Ward Ward was featured in the Netflix. Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine a light on darkness in 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.. 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. Judge orders release or new trial for 'Innocent Man' defendant Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His 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. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. What Happened To Tommy Ward And Karl Fontenot? 'The Innocent Man You can opt-out at any time. Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, 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. We are pressing forward exploring the possibility of going to federal court with additional appeals, Barrett said. 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. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. 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. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . 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. 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. 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. 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. Oklahoma court reinstates murder conviction of Tommy Ward 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. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. 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. - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. 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. The attorneys claim a trove of hundreds of new documents uncovered in a police storage room back up Fontenots claims of innocence. - QUINCY JONES, 27 time GRAMMY-award-winning producer "A fine singer A lovely, silky voice." 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. Tommy Ward - YouTube Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Tommy Ward from Netflix documentary has murder conviction reinstated and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. Judge vacates sentence; Tommy Ward to be set free Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. 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. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, 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. 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. 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. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. Freed man in 'Dreams of Ada' case slams state appeal to Supreme Court That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. Both Ward and . Oct 28, 2022. Tweet She was 24. 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 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. tommy ward released 2022 Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. You can opt-out at any time. 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! 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. 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 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. She doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. 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. 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. 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. 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. A spokeswoman for Attorney General John OConnor declined to comment on the pending cases. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Tommy Ward - Official Site Ward's newly released EP "From This Moment On," (2022) produced by LeCoq Records, showcases his stunning vocal abilities . 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. 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. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. But now, Wards release has been blocked by the state Attorney Generals Office. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . 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. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. Additional reporting by The Associated Press. 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. 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. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. 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. 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. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. 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. 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. OK man arrested for. 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. 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! Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. The Innocent Man - Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot now - Digital Spy 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. 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. More to come. Court Extends Temporary Stay 1 Day Before Tommy Ward's Expected Release Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. 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. 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. Timmy Ward 2022 Gamelogs | The Football Database Attorneys in Ada 'Innocent Man' murder case 'blown away' by content of Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. Which they did after I taped the statement," Fontenot said almost immediately after his interrogation, as described in Grisham's book. 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.. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. 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. At only 25 years old, he has already made a name for himself in the entertainment industry, and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. Both are model prisoners. Fontenot, Wards co-defendant, was ordered released by a federal judge in 2019, and the state is also appealing that order. 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. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. Fight for his release from jail crime Netflix Series was released back in 2018, and temporary. 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. 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Federal appeals court upholds overturned conviction in Ada '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. have asked the court of appeals . Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . 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 . State asks U.S. Supreme Court to uphold conviction in 'Innocent Man' I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. Prisoner seen in Netflix's The Innocent Man has murder conviction Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. Courtesy Netflix. Share Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. info@tommywardmusic.com | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. 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. The. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. The most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots 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.. An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. "Everything about their confession has been proven wrong by the discovery of the body," attorney Janet Davis noted in the documentary. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. 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 Innocent Man" Tommy Ward files another brief - KFOR.com Tommy Ward. Judge vacates Tommy Ward's sentences in 'The Innocent Man' case sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. 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. However, she would never be seen alive again. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. 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. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. 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.. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! remains wrongfully imprisoned . Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Fontenot. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. 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. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. 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. Court Rules 'Innocent Man' Defendant to Remain Imprisoned Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. They cant. John Grisham continues to correspond with both men. Attorneys in 'Innocent Man' case eye federal court after lower court's Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. 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. 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. 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. This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death.
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