Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. 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. 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. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. 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 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. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. 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. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. The Attorney Generals office claims in its filing that Fontenot and Ward attempted to minimize their involvement in Haraways death during their confessions by saying the primary aggressor was another man who was never charged with the crime. 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. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. 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. ADVERTISEMENT 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. Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Appeals Release Of Tommy Ward. Ward and Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. 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. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. 19 talking about this. At time of writing, he is still serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole, and is now 54 years old. Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS She was 24. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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 judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. 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. The judge also called the evidence against Ward circumstantial and said nearly all of the details in his confession were inaccurate. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. 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'. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. OK man arrested for. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. You can opt-out at any time. Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. 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. 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. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. 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. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. 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. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. 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. 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. But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . 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. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. 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. Please refer to our. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. More to come. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, 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. 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. Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. 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. 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 also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. They cant. Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine a light on darkness in Oklahoma? Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. Ada store clerk Denice Haraway was abducted and killed on April 28, 1984. . 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.. Fontenot, 57 and Tommy Ward, 61, were both twice convicted in Haraways murder. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Tommy Ward to be set free . She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. A spokeswoman for Attorney General John OConnor declined to comment on the pending cases. Haraways body was located after the convictions. Fontenot. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Haraway was working as a clerk in a convenience store when she went missing in Ada in 1984. 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. By: Dana Hertneky. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. Tommy Ward. We promise to never spam you. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. The attorneys claim a trove of hundreds of new documents uncovered in a police storage room back up Fontenots claims of innocence. Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals, however, argued that the district court had abused its discretion in that instance. He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. You can opt-out at any time. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. 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. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. 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. 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. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. The two insisted they were innocent, but still ended up convicted of Haraway's murder.
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