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, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. 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 organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. We promise to never spam you. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. 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. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. Ada store clerk Denice Haraway was abducted and killed on April 28, 1984. . You can opt-out at any time.
- BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. 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! A spokeswoman for Attorney General John OConnor declined to comment on the pending cases. remains wrongfully imprisoned . The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. 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. Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Appeals Release Of Tommy Ward.
Timmy Ward 2022 Gamelogs | The Football Database Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. mail "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. 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. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense.
Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) / Twitter Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. 2022 Reader's Choice Winners . 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. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. And Mr. Fontenot has also established that evidence suppressed by the State prior to his new trial in 1988 led to a violation of his constitutional right to due process., More:Human remains found, Oklahoma white supremacist leader might be connected.
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. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. 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. 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. PublishedDecember 26, 2020 at 10:50 AM CST, KGOU | 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. 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. 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 have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. 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. Fight for his release from jail crime Netflix Series was released back in 2018, and temporary. 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 Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower court's ruling that he be released. 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. 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. We are pressing forward exploring the possibility of going to federal court with additional appeals, Barrett said.
Oklahoma court reinstates 'Innocent Man' murder conviction Court Extends Temporary Stay 1 Day Before Tommy Ward's Expected Release Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. 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'. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. 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. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. 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. Tommy Ward, 61, and Karl Fontenot, 58, were . The Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower courts ruling that he be released.
Tommy Ward, Convicted Murderer and Subject of Netflix's 'The - TheWrap and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views.
Judge orders 'Innocent Man' defendant freed - Enidnews.com In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. Fontenot was sentenced to death again but Ward was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Oklahoman. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. 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. But now, Wards release has been blocked by the state Attorney Generals Office. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. The attorneys claim a trove of hundreds of new documents uncovered in a police storage room back up Fontenots claims of innocence.
Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His 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 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. OK man arrested for. 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. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial.
U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear 'Innocent Man' case Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. 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. Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. 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. Haraways body was located after the convictions. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019.
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.. 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. They cant. 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. Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. 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.