She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. 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. 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. 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. 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. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A man who has spent 35 years in prison in a murder case featured in the book and television series The Innocent Man must remain incarcerated even after a judge ordered his release, an appeals court ruled Thursday. Ward and Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. 19 talking about this. remains wrongfully imprisoned . Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. 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. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. 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. 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. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. Haraway was working as a clerk in a convenience store when she went missing in Ada in 1984. Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine a light on darkness in Oklahoma? Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. We are pressing forward exploring the possibility of going to federal court with additional appeals, Barrett said. John 3:16. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. 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'. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. You can opt-out at any time. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - Convicted murderer Tommy Ward has filed a brief in response to the Attorney General's motion to keep him locked up in prison. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Tweet He is currently serving time at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy in Oklahoma. Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. The investigators seem to have taken on the role of prosecutor, judge and jury, determining that the only relevant evidence was evidence that fit their theory of the case.. 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. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. 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. We promise to never spam you. have asked the court of appeals . 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. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. 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! 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. Its clear as day.. OK man arrested for. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. 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 is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? We cant do it without your support. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. 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. Fontenot, Wards co-defendant, was ordered released by a federal judge in 2019, and the state is also appealing that order. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . 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. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. Courtesy Netflix. 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. Additional reporting by The Associated Press. A spokeswoman for Attorney General John OConnor declined to comment on the pending cases. 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.. However, she would never be seen alive again. 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. 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. Oct 28, 2022. 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. 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. As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. You can opt-out at any time. Both Ward and . The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. Tommy Ward. 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. 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. 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. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. 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 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. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. 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 doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. 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. 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. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. 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 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. 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. 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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. 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. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. Both are model prisoners. I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. He reminds me of working with Frank Sinatra in some strange way." Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 2022 Reader's Choice Winners . 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. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. 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. The 10th U.S. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. The convictions were based almost entirely on accounts they said they retrieved from dreams. 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. 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. Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. 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. The most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. 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. 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 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. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. 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. 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. mail 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. 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. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. More to come. All rights reserved. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. 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. Share 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 attorneys claim a trove of hundreds of new documents uncovered in a police storage room back up Fontenots claims of innocence. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. When you read their briefs, they dont take issue with the fact that this information was withheld from him. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. Fontenot. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. Ward was featured in the Netflix. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court.