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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. 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! Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. 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 . 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. 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. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Hes very disappointed that hes still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Wards attorney Mark Barrett told The Associated Press on Tuesday (30 August), adding that the legal team is pressing forward and exploring the possibility of going to federal court.. 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. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. We promise to never spam you. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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, Wards co-defendant, was ordered released by a federal judge in 2019, and the state is also appealing that order. 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. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. 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. Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. Ward's case, and others, have been the. 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. Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. 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. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. 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. 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. 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 most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. 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. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and filming for Halloween Ends to release on October 14, 2022 with! Tweet 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. The court overturned a lower court decision that said because prosecutors and police withheld evidence that could exonerate Tommy Ward, 61, of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada. She was 24. Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. 7726 5241 Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US Are allowed finish! Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. More to come. 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. 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 can opt-out at any time. Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Appeals Release Of Tommy Ward. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. 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'. 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. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. 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. 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.. 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'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. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. 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. They cant. 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. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. remains wrongfully imprisoned . We promise to never spam you. Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. 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 are model prisoners. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. 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. - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . 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. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. 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. Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, At time of writing, he is still serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole, and is now 54 years old. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. Courtesy. Tommy's legal team dedicated to freeing Tommy Ward from prison for a crime he did not commit.. Fontenot. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. To the extent that this could be the next Sinatra of our time." 2022 Reader's Choice Winners . She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. 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. The appeals court did task the district court with handling a remaining claim from Wards team, according to which newly discovered evidence requires his conviction to be vacated.