However, she would never be seen alive again. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. mail 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. 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. Share. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. Please refer to our. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. Additional reporting by The Associated Press. "Tommy is the epitome of great music. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. 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. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. 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 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. Tommy Ward has been in prison for 35 years and was supposed to be released today after a judge dismissed Ward's murder conviction. 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. The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. 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. To the extent that this could be the next Sinatra of our time." 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'. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. Ward's case, and others, have been the. 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! Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, By: Dana Hertneky. He reminds me of working with Frank Sinatra in some strange way." Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. 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. More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. 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. We cant do it without your support. @WardInnocentMan. Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. Tommy Ward to be set free . 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. Ive never been in jail or had a police record in my life and no one in my face telling me Id killed a pretty woman, that Im going to get the death penalty, so I told them the story hoping they would leave me alone. An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. More to come. She was 24. Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. 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. have asked the court of appeals . 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. Critically acclaimed singer, musician, and entertainer. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. PublishedDecember 26, 2020 at 10:50 AM CST, KGOU | remains wrongfully imprisoned . Tommy Ward. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. Ada store clerk Denice Haraway was abducted and killed on April 28, 1984. . 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. Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. 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. 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 . You can opt-out at any time. 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. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. In June this year, the US Supreme Court refused to take up the case and to examine the states appeal. 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. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. 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. 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. 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. Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. 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.. 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. 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. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. 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! 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. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. Tommy's legal team dedicated to freeing Tommy Ward from prison for a crime he did not commit.. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. 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. 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. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . Tommy Ward is still behind bars waiting for an appeal. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and filming for Halloween Ends to release on October 14, 2022 with! 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! Courtesy. Ward and Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, Ward's newly released EP "From This Moment On," (2022) produced by LeCoq Records, showcases his stunning vocal abilities . Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. 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. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. 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 state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. 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'. Courtesy Netflix. Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. 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 state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. Please refer to our. . The. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. 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. Both Ward and . 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. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. - QUINCY JONES, 27 time GRAMMY-award-winning producer "A fine singer A lovely, silky voice." He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. 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.
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