Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. 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. 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. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . 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. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. 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. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . 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 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. 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. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. At time of writing, he is still serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole, and is now 54 years old. You can opt-out at any time. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . All rights reserved. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. Courtesy Netflix. Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. The. Which they did after I taped the statement," Fontenot said almost immediately after his interrogation, as described in Grisham's book. Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Fontenot. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. 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. 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. 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. Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine a light on darkness in Oklahoma? Both are model prisoners. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. The attorneys claim a trove of hundreds of new documents uncovered in a police storage room back up Fontenots claims of innocence. It was based on the 2006 true-crime book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. We promise to never spam you. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. 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. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. 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 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. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. 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. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. ADVERTISEMENT We cant do it without your support. Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. 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. 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. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. John Grisham continues to correspond with both men. 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. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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'. 2022 Reader's Choice Winners . I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. 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. 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 both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. 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! Ward's case, and others, have been the. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. have asked the court of appeals . Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. Its clear as day.. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. 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. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. Haraways body was located after the convictions. Ward was featured in the Netflix. John 3:16. 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. 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. More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. 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'. 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 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. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. 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. Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. 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. A spokeswoman for Attorney General John OConnor declined to comment on the pending cases. 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. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. Tweet Please refer to our. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. 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. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. 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. Tommy Ward to be set free . 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. Tommy Ward. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. Additional reporting by The Associated Press. The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. 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. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. The 10th U.S. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenots alibi and other suspects in the murder provided solid proof of his probable innocence. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. 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. 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. More to come. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Please refer to our. The most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. The judge also called the evidence against Ward circumstantial and said nearly all of the details in his confession were inaccurate. 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 . She doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. By: Dana Hertneky. 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. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. 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.. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. OK man arrested for. 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. 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. The Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower courts ruling that he be released. 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. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. 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. remains wrongfully imprisoned . Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. 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. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. 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. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. 19 talking about this. 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. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. - QUINCY JONES, 27 time GRAMMY-award-winning producer "A fine singer A lovely, silky voice." Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. 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. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. Share. 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. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. 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. This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death. 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. Critically acclaimed singer, musician, and entertainer. Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. PublishedDecember 26, 2020 at 10:50 AM CST, KGOU | We promise to never spam you. 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. 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. @WardInnocentMan. 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. 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. Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. Oct 28, 2022. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. 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. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. Both Ward and . Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail.