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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. @WardInnocentMan. Haraways body was located after the convictions. Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. 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'. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. 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.. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. To the extent that this could be the next Sinatra of our time." Additional reporting by The Associated Press. 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. Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. The judge also called the evidence against Ward circumstantial and said nearly all of the details in his confession were inaccurate. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. We promise to never spam you. 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. 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 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. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. 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 has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. - QUINCY JONES, 27 time GRAMMY-award-winning producer "A fine singer A lovely, silky voice." More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. The 10th U.S. Please refer to our. 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. Ward's case, and others, have been the. 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. 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! Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. 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. Ward's newly released EP "From This Moment On," (2022) produced by LeCoq Records, showcases his stunning vocal abilities . ADVERTISEMENT 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. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. 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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Tommy Ward has been in prison for 35 years and was supposed to be released today after a judge dismissed Ward's murder conviction. 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. 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. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. 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. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. 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. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. Tommy Ward, who was convicted twice for the 1984 kidnapping and murder of Ada convenience store clerk Donna "Denise" Haraway, had his conviction and life sentence overturned and was ordered to. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. 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. 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. Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Appeals Release Of Tommy Ward. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. 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. 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.. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. 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. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS They cant. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. 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. Which they did after I taped the statement," Fontenot said almost immediately after his interrogation, as described in Grisham's book. Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. 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. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. 7726 5241 Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US Are allowed finish! She doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. 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. I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. Share. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. 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. However, she would never be seen alive again. 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. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. 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 . Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. We cant do it without your support. 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. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? The convictions were based almost entirely on accounts they said they retrieved from dreams. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 is still behind bars waiting for an appeal. 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.