Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. Fontenot. The attorneys claim a trove of hundreds of new documents uncovered in a police storage room back up Fontenots claims of innocence. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. 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. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and filming for Halloween Ends to release on October 14, 2022 with! 2023 www.oklahoman.com. Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. 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. 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. 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.. 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.. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. He is currently serving time at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy in Oklahoma. 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. Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. 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. 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. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. 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. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. We promise to never spam you. 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 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. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenots alibi and other suspects in the murder provided solid proof of his probable innocence. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. 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. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Oct 28, 2022. 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.. Critically acclaimed singer, musician, and entertainer. 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 said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. Per The Associated Press, the convictions were based almost entirely on accounts they said they retrieved from dreams, and 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.. But now, Wards release has been blocked by the state Attorney Generals Office. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. 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. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. ADVERTISEMENT John Grisham continues to correspond with both men. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. 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. 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'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. info@tommywardmusic.com | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. 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. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Tommy Ward is still behind bars waiting for an appeal. 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. 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. 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. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. 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. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. Courtesy. In June this year, the US Supreme Court refused to take up the case and to examine the states appeal. 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. Fontenot, Wards co-defendant, was ordered released by a federal judge in 2019, and the state is also appealing that order. Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS 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. Tommy Ward andKarl Fontenot were sentenced to death in 1985 for the murder of Denice Haraway, despite the fact that their confessions didn't match the crime they were accused of. The most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. 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.
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