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. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. 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. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. 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. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and filming for Halloween Ends to release on October 14, 2022 with! More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. 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. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. 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. The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. The judge also called the evidence against Ward circumstantial and said nearly all of the details in his confession were inaccurate. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Since the age of 16, Ward has had the opportunity to work alongside industry veterans and legends. OK man arrested for. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals, however, argued that the district court had abused its discretion in that instance. 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. 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. 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. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. A spokeswoman for Attorney General John OConnor declined to comment on the pending cases. Critically acclaimed singer, musician, and entertainer. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. 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. 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. 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. Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. She doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. More to come. 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. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. 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. 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. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. 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 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. 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. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. She was 24. When you read their briefs, they dont take issue with the fact that this information was withheld from him. 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. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Ward was featured in the Netflix. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . Courtesy. 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.. remains wrongfully imprisoned . We promise to never spam you. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. 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. This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenots alibi and other suspects in the murder provided solid proof of his probable innocence. Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. 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. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. 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. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. 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. Both Ward and . Share Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. The. 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. 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. 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. Tweet The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. "Tommy is the epitome of great music. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. 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. 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. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. 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. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. But now, Wards release has been blocked by the state Attorney Generals Office. The two insisted they were innocent, but still ended up convicted of Haraway's murder. In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. 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. 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's legal team dedicated to freeing Tommy Ward from prison for a crime he did not commit.. 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 newly released EP "From This Moment On," (2022) produced by LeCoq Records, showcases his stunning vocal abilities . To the extent that this could be the next Sinatra of our time." . 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. 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. The 10th U.S. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. Tommy Ward. The most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. 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. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. 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. info@tommywardmusic.com | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. 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. However, she would never be seen alive again. Haraway was working as a clerk in a convenience store when she went missing in Ada in 1984. 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. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. 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. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. 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. Which they did after I taped the statement," Fontenot said almost immediately after his interrogation, as described in Grisham's book. Fontenot. By: Dana Hertneky. 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. 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. 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. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. However, court documents filed on Monday (29 August) show that on Friday (26 August), Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the judges decision and reinstated Wards conviction. He is currently serving time at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy in Oklahoma. 7726 5241 Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US Are allowed finish! The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. Courtesy Netflix. - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. The courts exhaustively reviewed voluminous amounts of withheld exculpatory evidence and correctly concluded that this is the rare case in which a habeas petitioner has credibly demonstrated actual innocence, the lawyers said. Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. 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. 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. ADVERTISEMENT Tommy Ward, 61, and Karl Fontenot, 58, were . Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. 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. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 2022 Reader's Choice Winners . 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'. 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.. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Fontenot, 57 and Tommy Ward, 61, were both twice convicted in Haraways murder. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. 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. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, John 3:16. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. mail We are pressing forward exploring the possibility of going to federal court with additional appeals, Barrett said. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. 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. Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. The convictions were based almost entirely on accounts they said they retrieved from dreams. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. 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. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community.