As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. However, she would never be seen alive again. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. 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. 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. 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. Fontenot was sentenced to death again but Ward was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Oklahoman. - QUINCY JONES, 27 time GRAMMY-award-winning producer "A fine singer A lovely, silky voice." Courtesy. 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. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. We cant do it without your support. 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. Fontenot. You can opt-out at any time. The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. 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. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. 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. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. 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. 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. 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. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. Tommy Ward - YouTube "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. 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. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death. At time of writing, he is still serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole, and is now 54 years old. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. 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. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. 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! 2022 Reader's Choice Winners . By: Dana Hertneky. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. Share So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. Ward's newly released EP "From This Moment On," (2022) produced by LeCoq Records, showcases his stunning vocal abilities . 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. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. 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. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. The Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower courts ruling that he be released. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. Oklahoma Attorney General responds to innocence claims by 'Innocent Man Attorneys in 'Innocent Man' case eye federal court after lower court's Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. Tommy Ward from Netflix documentary has murder conviction reinstated Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. About Tommy Ward 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. 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. 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. A spokeswoman for Attorney General John OConnor declined to comment on the pending cases. Hes very disappointed that hes still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Wards attorney Mark Barrett told The Associated Press on Tuesday (30 August), adding that the legal team is pressing forward and exploring the possibility of going to federal court.. Prisoner seen in Netflix's The Innocent Man has murder conviction Both are model prisoners. 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. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . What Happened To Tommy Ward And Karl Fontenot? 'The Innocent Man [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. 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'. 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. I received Christmas cards last week from both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, so we keep in touch," Grisham said. Which they did after I taped the statement," Fontenot said almost immediately after his interrogation, as described in Grisham's book. Please refer to our. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . 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. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. 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. 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. mail 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. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. 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. 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. Please refer to our. 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.. Fight for his release from jail crime Netflix Series was released back in 2018, and temporary. 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. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Court rules 'Innocent Man' defendant to remain imprisoned - AP NEWS The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. 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. It was based on the 2006 true-crime book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham. 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. I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. 37 years since Ada murder, Ward still in custody - KTEN 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. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. Tuesday 30 August 2022 23:08 Tommy Ward in the 2018 Netflix docuseries 'The Innocent Man' (Netflix) A prisoner featured in the Netflix documentary series The Innocent Man has had his murder. 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. Tweet But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. Judge orders release or new trial for 'Innocent Man' defendant 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. Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) / Twitter 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. ADVERTISEMENT 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 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 Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. Judge vacates sentence; Tommy Ward to be set free Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. A prisoner featured in the Netflix documentary series The Innocent Man has had his murder conviction and life sentence reinstated after previously being granted relief. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenots alibi and other suspects in the murder provided solid proof of his probable innocence. 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. Court Extends Temporary Stay 1 Day Before Tommy Ward's Expected Release Tommy Ward- The Innocent Man's Legal Team's Page | Ada OK - Facebook Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. 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. State asks U.S. Supreme Court to uphold conviction in 'Innocent Man'