Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. Please refer to our. 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Appeals Release Of Tommy Ward. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. @WardInnocentMan. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Please refer to our. 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. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. 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 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 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. OK man arrested for. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. Fontenot was sentenced to death again but Ward was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Oklahoman. 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. More to come. 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. At time of writing, he is still serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole, and is now 54 years old. Tommy's legal team dedicated to freeing Tommy Ward from prison for a crime 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. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. 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. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. PublishedDecember 26, 2020 at 10:50 AM CST, KGOU | 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. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. Fight for his release from jail crime Netflix Series was released back in 2018, and temporary. 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. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. 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. 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. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. It was based on the 2006 true-crime book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham. He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. 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. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. 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 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. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. 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. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. 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. Its clear as day.. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and filming for Halloween Ends to release on October 14, 2022 with! Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. More to come. 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 attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. 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. - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. 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. The 10th U.S. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. Share Tweet info@tommywardmusic.com | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. 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. To the extent that this could be the next Sinatra of our time." sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. 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 attorneys claim a trove of hundreds of new documents uncovered in a police storage room back up Fontenots claims of innocence. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. 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. Courtesy. Oct 28, 2022. 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. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. 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. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. Raising the same general categories on post-conviction that one raised on direct appeal, even if the basis is different, will result in a procedural bar," according to the state court's opinion. 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! 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. 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. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . 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. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. 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. 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. John 3:16. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. 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. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. 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. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. 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's case, and others, have been the. 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. Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. 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. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. 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. 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. Mark Barrett and Greg Swygert , the attorneys representing Tommy Ward, spoke with The Frontier this week about the status of Ward's case to have his 1989 murder conviction and life sentence. 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 remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. 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. Courtesy Netflix. We promise to never spam you. 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. 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. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. 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 has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Haraways body was located after the convictions. 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. A spokeswoman for Attorney General John OConnor declined to comment on the pending cases. Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. The two insisted they were innocent, but still ended up convicted of Haraway's murder. Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. He is currently serving time at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy in Oklahoma. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. "Tommy is the epitome of great music. Tommy Ward. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. 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. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . We cant do it without your support. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. 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.
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