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. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, 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 judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. Ward's newly released EP "From This Moment On," (2022) produced by LeCoq Records, showcases his stunning vocal abilities . Tommy Ward from Netflix documentary has murder conviction reinstated Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Tommy Ward - YouTube 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. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Tommy Ward. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Haraway was working as a clerk in a convenience store when she went missing in Ada in 1984. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. 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 most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. John Grisham continues to correspond with both men. I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death. Newly filed court documents reveal that a man who was one of the subjects of "The Innocent Man" is set to be released from prison. "Tommy is the epitome of great music. Ward's case, and others, have been the. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. Tommy Ward has been in prison for 35 years and was supposed to be released today after a judge dismissed Ward's murder conviction. 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. Both judges found the defendants constitutional rights were violated by police and prosecutors who until 2019 didnt turn over more than 300 pages of documents that would have helped the defendants. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. info@tommywardmusic.com | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. 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. 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. 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. Please refer to our. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. have asked the court of appeals . Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. At time of writing, he is still serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole, and is now 54 years old. 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. Wr Hines Ward - NFL.com /a > attorneys representing Tommy Ward was one of two serving! 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. He is currently serving time at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy in Oklahoma. Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. It was based on the 2006 true-crime book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! All rights reserved. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. 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. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. 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. Fontenot. Court rules 'Innocent Man' defendant to remain imprisoned - AP NEWS The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. 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. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. Since the age of 16, Ward has had the opportunity to work alongside industry veterans and legends. Raising the same general categories on post-conviction that one raised on direct appeal, even if the basis is different, will result in a procedural bar," according to the state court's opinion. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. 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.. mail Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. 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. In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. 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 Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . 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. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. 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. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. What Happened To Tommy Ward And Karl Fontenot? 'The Innocent Man She doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. 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 was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. However, she would never be seen alive again. 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. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. 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. OK man arrested for. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. 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. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. Ward and Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Appeals Release Of Tommy Ward. 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. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. Oct 28, 2022. 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. He reminds me of working with Frank Sinatra in some strange way." "The Innocent Man" Tommy Ward files another brief - KFOR.com 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'. 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. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. Tommy Ward, Convicted Murderer and Subject of Netflix's 'The - TheWrap So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. 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. The two insisted they were innocent, but still ended up convicted of Haraway's murder. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. In 2020, Fontenot's co-defendant in the case, Tommy Ward, also had his conviction overturned in state court, but prosecutors have appealed that decision to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Courtesy Netflix. Federal appeals court upholds overturned conviction in Ada 'Innocent Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! tommy ward released 2022 But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. Attorneys for a man convicted for the 1984 kidnapping and murder of an Ada woman say they plan to file a federal case to try and overturn his conviction after the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals overturned a lower court's order that would have made him a free man.