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Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine a light on darkness in Oklahoma? 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. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. Please refer to our. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. 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. Ward's case, and others, have been the. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, 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. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. 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. Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals, however, argued that the district court had abused its discretion in that instance. 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'. That evidence includes previously undisclosed suspects and whether police provided Ward with information about the victim's blouse, which prosecutors said he had described. 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. We promise to never spam you. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. 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. Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. The 10th U.S. Tommy Ward has been in prison for 35 years and was supposed to be released today after a judge dismissed Ward's murder conviction. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. Courtesy. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. The. By: Dana Hertneky. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. 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. So thats the reason I gave them an untrue statement so they would leave me alone.. Fontenot. Ada store clerk Denice Haraway was abducted and killed on April 28, 1984. . I didnt even know what the word 'statement' or 'confessing' meant 'til they told me I confessed to it. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. 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. 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. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. 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. He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. However, she would never be seen alive again. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. 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. Newson6.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. 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.. Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. In June this year, the US Supreme Court refused to take up the case and to examine the states appeal. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. 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. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death. John Grisham continues to correspond with both men. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. 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. 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. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. 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. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. More to come. 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. But now, Wards release has been blocked by the state Attorney Generals Office. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. His previous EPs "Forget Me Not" and "Merry Christmas" both reached the Top 10 on iTunes jazz charts on the first day of their release. More to come. "Everything about their confession has been proven wrong by the discovery of the body," attorney Janet Davis noted in the documentary. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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.. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. 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. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. Haraways body was located after the convictions. 2022 Reader's Choice Winners . Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. 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. 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. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction.