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. The young woman's disappearance sparked decades of controversy as police scrambled to solve the crime, leading to the convictions of two men: Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Haraway had been shot rather than stabbed, was 20 miles away from where the men said her body had been dumped, and she had been wearing different clothes than those Ward and Fontenot described. 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. 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. Fontenot, now 57,was tried twice and given the death penalty both times, though a retrial error led to a new sentence of life without parole. Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS FILE - 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. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. 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. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. Tommy Ward one of the subjects of Netflix's true-crime docuseries "The Innocent Man," who was convicted of abduction, rape and the murder of an Oklahoma woman is to be released from . Tommy Ward. This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. Tommy Ward is still behind bars waiting for an appeal. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. Share. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. 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. 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.. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. 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. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. The Court of Criminal Appeals ruled Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 that 60-year-old Tommy Ward remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower court's ruling. 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. As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. 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. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. All rights reserved. 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.. Since the age of 16, Ward has had the opportunity to work alongside industry veterans and legends. 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. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, This is new info, and were trying to figure what this means right now. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . Courtesy Netflix. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna "Denice" Haraway. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. The two insisted they were innocent, but still ended up convicted of Haraway's murder. The most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. You can opt-out at any time. and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death. Ada store clerk Denice Haraway was abducted and killed on April 28, 1984. . The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenots alibi and other suspects in the murder provided solid proof of his probable innocence. The. 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. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. 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. Fontenot, Wards co-defendant, was ordered released by a federal judge in 2019, and the state is also appealing that order. 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 a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. Ward was featured in the Netflix. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. Oct 28, 2022. info@tommywardmusic.com | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. 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. Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. Its clear as day.. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. 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. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. 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. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Evidence presented to exonerate Fontenot had been available since Fontenots trials in the 1980s, the state said, arguing that the high court should accept the caseto clarify that new evidence means newly discovered or newly available evidence as opposed to newly presented evidence.
tommy ward released 2022
