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Share An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. Please refer to our. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. The judge also called the evidence against Ward circumstantial and said nearly all of the details in his confession were inaccurate. 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. John 3:16. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Fight for his release from jail crime Netflix Series was released back in 2018, and temporary. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. 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. mail 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. 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. 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. 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. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. The. - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. We promise to never spam you. Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. 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. 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. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. 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. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. 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'. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. 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. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. Haraway was working as a clerk in a convenience store when she went missing in Ada in 1984. Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. 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. 19 talking about this. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. Ward and Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. 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. Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's 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. 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. He is currently serving time at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy in Oklahoma. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. 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.. 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. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals, however, argued that the district court had abused its discretion in that instance. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. Which they did after I taped the statement," Fontenot said almost immediately after his interrogation, as described in Grisham's book. 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. 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. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. 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. 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. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. The most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. Share. Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. 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. As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. Critically acclaimed singer, musician, and entertainer. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. Ward was featured in the Netflix. 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.. Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? The state of Oklahoma engaged in an egregious, decades-long pattern of prosecutorial misconduct to ensure that the facts of Karl Fontenots innocence never came to light, Fontenots legal team told the court. Ward 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. 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. 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. "Everything about their confession has been proven wrong by the discovery of the body," attorney Janet Davis noted in the documentary. 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. When you read their briefs, they dont take issue with the fact that this information was withheld from him. Tommy Ward. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. 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. Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. 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. remains wrongfully imprisoned . 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 is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. 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. OK man arrested for. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. 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. But now, Wards release has been blocked by the state Attorney Generals Office. In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. have asked the court of appeals . However, she would never be seen alive again. 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. 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 is the epitome of great music. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenots alibi and other suspects in the murder provided solid proof of his probable innocence. info@tommywardmusic.com | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. 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. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. 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. 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. - QUINCY JONES, 27 time GRAMMY-award-winning producer "A fine singer A lovely, silky voice." Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. 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. She doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. Additional reporting by The Associated Press. 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. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. 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. The attorneys claim a trove of hundreds of new documents uncovered in a police storage room back up Fontenots claims of innocence. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. 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. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Haraways body was located after the convictions. 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. The Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower courts ruling that he be released. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. 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. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. 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. @WardInnocentMan. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . Ada store clerk Denice Haraway was abducted and killed on April 28, 1984. . Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. Tommy's legal team dedicated to freeing Tommy Ward from prison for a crime he did not commit.. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. Tommy Ward is still behind bars waiting for an appeal. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. She was 24. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. 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.