We cant do it without your support. 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. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. "They said I had a choice to write it or tape it. Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, was convicted in 1999 of the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway in Ada, Oklahoma. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. 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. We promise to never spam you. 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 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. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. 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. In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. 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. Please refer to our. By: Dana Hertneky. Ward's case, and others, have been the. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. Fontenot, 57 and Tommy Ward, 61, were both twice convicted in Haraways murder. The victim, Donna Denice Haraway, disappeared from the McAnally's convenience store in Ada on April 28, 1984. 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.. remains wrongfully imprisoned . Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. Tommy Ward andKarl Fontenot were sentenced to death in 1985 for the murder of Denice Haraway, despite the fact that their confessions didn't match the crime they were accused of. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. More to come. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! She doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. Its clear as day.. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. 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. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. 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 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. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. Since the age of 16, Ward has had the opportunity to work alongside industry veterans and legends. 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 9 delivered right to your inbox! The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. Tommy Ward. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. Karl Fontenot was 20 years old in 1984, when he was arrested for the rape and murder of Donna Denice Haraway along with Tommy Ward. Tommy Ward has been in prison 35 years for a murder he swears he did not commit. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. 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. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. The Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower courts ruling that he be released. Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. 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. Critically acclaimed singer, musician, and entertainer. As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. 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. have asked the court of appeals . 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. @WardInnocentMan. 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. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. Fontenot, Wards co-defendant, was ordered released by a federal judge in 2019, and the state is also appealing that order. Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. 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. 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 10th U.S. 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. 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. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. 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.. Newly filed court documents reveal that a man who was one of the subjects of "The Innocent Man" is set to be released from prison. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. The convictions were based almost entirely on accounts they said they retrieved from dreams. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Both Ward and . 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 is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. Both judges found the defendants constitutional rights were violated by police and prosecutors who until 2019 didnt turn over more than 300 pages of documents that would have helped the defendants. Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. 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. She was 24. He reminds me of working with Frank Sinatra in some strange way." 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. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. 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. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. ADVERTISEMENT Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS Tommy Ward, 61, and Karl Fontenot, 58, were . She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. 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. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts.