Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. State asks U.S. Supreme Court to uphold conviction in 'Innocent Man' Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Court Rules 'Innocent Man' Defendant to Remain Imprisoned 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. 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. Freed man in 'Dreams of Ada' case slams state appeal to Supreme Court Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. Tommy Ward, 61, and Karl Fontenot, 58, were . More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . 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. Please refer to our. 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.. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. 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. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. 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. 7726 5241 Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US Are allowed finish! Please refer to our. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. 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. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Timmy Ward 2022 Gamelogs | The Football Database Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. More to come. Its clear as day.. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. Which they did after I taped the statement," Fontenot said almost immediately after his interrogation, as described in Grisham's book. Fontenot was sentenced to death again but Ward was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Oklahoman. 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 . Share 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. 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. 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. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. 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. 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. 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. Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. 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. She doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. By: Dana Hertneky. 19 talking about this. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. John 3:16. 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. More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. Wr Hines Ward - NFL.com /a > attorneys representing Tommy Ward was one of two serving! Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. 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. Share. Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. 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. Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) / Twitter Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. It was based on the 2006 true-crime book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. Tommy Ward, Convicted Murderer and Subject of Netflix's 'The - TheWrap The convictions were based almost entirely on accounts they said they retrieved from dreams. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. Courtesy Netflix. I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. John Grisham continues to correspond with both men. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. 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. PublishedDecember 26, 2020 at 10:50 AM CST, KGOU | 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'. - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. tommy ward released 2022 Court upholds overturned conviction in 'Innocent Man' case Haraway was working as a clerk in a convenience store when she went missing in Ada in 1984. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals, however, argued that the district court had abused its discretion in that instance. You can opt-out at any time. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. Fontenot. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. Ward and Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. 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. 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. The. Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Appeals Release Of Tommy Ward Critically acclaimed singer, musician, and entertainer. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. You can opt-out at any time. Oklahoma court reinstates 'Innocent Man' murder conviction She was 24. In June this year, the US Supreme Court refused to take up the case and to examine the states appeal. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. All rights reserved. Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. 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. 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. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. 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! I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. 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 state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. He reminds me of working with Frank Sinatra in some strange way." So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. 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.