The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. 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. 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. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. 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. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. He reminds me of working with Frank Sinatra in some strange way." In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. 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, 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. Oct 28, 2022. Critically acclaimed singer, musician, and entertainer. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. Both Ward and . Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . 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. Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. 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. 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. The two insisted they were innocent, but still ended up convicted of Haraway's murder. 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. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. 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. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. 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. FILE - 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. Fontenot was sentenced to death again but Ward was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Oklahoman. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. remains wrongfully imprisoned . 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. 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. An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Since the age of 16, Ward has had the opportunity to work alongside industry veterans and legends. They cant. ADVERTISEMENT The convictions were based almost entirely on accounts they said they retrieved from dreams. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. Please refer to our. - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. You can opt-out at any time. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. 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. She was 24. have asked the court of appeals . 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 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. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. He is currently serving time at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy in Oklahoma. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . 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. 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. Fontenot. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. In June this year, the US Supreme Court refused to take up the case and to examine the states appeal. 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. It was based on the 2006 true-crime book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. 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. 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! - QUINCY JONES, 27 time GRAMMY-award-winning producer "A fine singer A lovely, silky voice." The. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. 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. Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, 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. We cant do it without your support. 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. 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.. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. Tommy Ward is still behind bars waiting for an appeal. 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. - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. 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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Ward and Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. At time of writing, he is still serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole, and is now 54 years old. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Tommy's legal team dedicated to freeing Tommy Ward from prison for a crime he did not commit.. John 3:16. Ada store clerk Denice Haraway was abducted and killed on April 28, 1984. . "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS You can opt-out at any time. 2022 Reader's Choice Winners . Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. Both are model prisoners. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Haraway was working as a clerk in a convenience store when she went missing in Ada in 1984. Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. 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. "Everything about their confession has been proven wrong by the discovery of the body," attorney Janet Davis noted in the documentary. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . 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. 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. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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. Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. Ward's case, and others, have been the. I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. Fight for his release from jail crime Netflix Series was released back in 2018, and temporary. 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. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. 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. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. The case was the subject of the book, The Dreams of Ada, by Robert Mayer, and was also described in John Grishams The Innocent Man, which became a Netflix documentary series. However, she would never be seen alive again. This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. PublishedDecember 26, 2020 at 10:50 AM CST, KGOU | The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. 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. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . The response filed by Fontenots lawyers this week said the vast majority of evidence that the state claims was available in the 1980s was actually being suppressed by the state. mail Share. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. 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. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to 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. 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.
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