Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . The two insisted they were innocent, but still ended up convicted of Haraway's murder. 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. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. 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. 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. Share. Ward was featured in the Netflix. The convictions were based almost entirely on accounts they said they retrieved from dreams. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . 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'. 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. Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. 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! 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. We promise to never spam you. OK man arrested for. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. She was 24. 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. 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. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. 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. I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS You can opt-out at any time. 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. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. PublishedDecember 26, 2020 at 10:50 AM CST, KGOU | 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 . In June this year, the US Supreme Court refused to take up the case and to examine the states appeal. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. 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. 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. 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. Tommy Ward. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. have asked the court of appeals . Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? 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. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. 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. 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. This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. When you read their briefs, they dont take issue with the fact that this information was withheld from him. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. Please refer to our. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. However, she would never be seen alive again. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. The. It was based on the 2006 true-crime book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. 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. Fontenot, 57 and Tommy Ward, 61, were both twice convicted in Haraways murder. Oct 28, 2022. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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, '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. Both Ward and . Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. 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. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. 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. 2022 Reader's Choice Winners . Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. (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. Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals, however, argued that the district court had abused its discretion in that instance. But now, Wards release has been blocked by the state Attorney Generals Office. 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. 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. The Oklahoma Attorney Generals 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. 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. Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. 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. 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. 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. But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. After the details of both mens confessions were proven untrue Haraways body was discovered years later in a different location and had been shot to death not stabbed as the pair had said a state appeals court ordered new trials. 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 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. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. Critically acclaimed singer, musician, and entertainer.