News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, 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.. Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. Judge vacates sentence; Tommy Ward to be set free Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! "Tommy is the epitome of great music. Tommy Ward from Netflix documentary has murder conviction reinstated He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Fontenot, 57 and Tommy Ward, 61, were both twice convicted in Haraways murder. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. 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. 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. 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. 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. He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. The state of Oklahoma engaged in an egregious, decades-long pattern of prosecutorial misconduct to ensure that the facts of Karl Fontenots innocence never came to light, Fontenots legal team told the court. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. 37 years since Ada murder, Ward still in custody - KTEN 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. Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. Court Extends Temporary Stay 1 Day Before Tommy Ward's Expected Release U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear 'Innocent Man' case Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. 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. Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Attorneys in 'Innocent Man' case eye federal court after lower court's We promise to never spam you. 7726 5241 Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US Are allowed finish! State asks U.S. Supreme Court to uphold conviction in 'Innocent Man' Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. @WardInnocentMan. Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. And the prosecutorial misconduct did not end with the trial: over the next thirty years, the State continued to withhold evidence, releasing it piecemeal only when compelled to do so by multiple court orders, the lawyers told the court. 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. Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. Fight for his release from jail crime Netflix Series was released back in 2018, and temporary. "The Innocent Man" Tommy Ward files another brief - KFOR.com Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. 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. Court Rules 'Innocent Man' Defendant to Remain Imprisoned Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. 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. 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. 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. He is currently serving time at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy in Oklahoma. The convictions were based almost entirely on accounts they said they retrieved from dreams. Courtesy Netflix. Karl Fontenot: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. 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. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . Fontenot, Wards co-defendant, was ordered released by a federal judge in 2019, and the state is also appealing that order. You can opt-out at any time. 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 organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Tommy Ward. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . We cant do it without your support. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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 has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Ward's case, and others, have been the. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. . Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. 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. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. Court upholds overturned conviction in 'Innocent Man' case 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'. The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared.
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