Since the age of 16, Ward has had the opportunity to work alongside industry veterans and legends. 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. Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. Haraways body was located after the convictions. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. She was 24. Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Tommy Ward, Convicted Murderer and Subject of Netflix's 'The - TheWrap 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! By: Dana Hertneky. John Grisham continues to correspond with both men. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. The Oklahoma Attorney General's 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. Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. 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. 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. 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. 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. Justices should reject the states request to review the case because the evidence in this case qualifies as new evidence of actual innocence under any definition of new evidence, Fontenots lawyers argued. have asked the court of appeals . Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. We promise to never spam you. Ward's case was the focus of the Netflix documentary "The Innocent Man, " which was released in 2018. The convictions of Ward and Fontenot have come under intense scrutiny for years and have been the subject of numerous books, including John Grishams The Innocent Man, which he produced into a six-part documentary. . Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. The response filed by Fontenots lawyers this week said the vast majority of evidence that the state claims was available in the 1980s was actually being suppressed by the state. 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. 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.. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. Both Ward and . A spokeswoman for Attorney General John OConnor declined to comment on the pending cases. However, she would never be seen alive again. 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. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. 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. 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. Tommy Ward was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but . 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 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 of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower courts ruling that he be released. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. 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.. - QUINCY JONES, 27 time GRAMMY-award-winning producer "A fine singer A lovely, silky voice." Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. Fontenot was sentenced to death again but Ward was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Oklahoman. Timmy Ward 2022 Gamelogs | The Football Database ADVERTISEMENT A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Prisoner seen in Netflix's The Innocent Man has murder conviction Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. Tommy Ward to be set free . 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. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. Share. Tweet 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. 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. Attorneys in Ada 'Innocent Man' case request judge vacate Ward's Oklahoma Attorney General responds to innocence claims by 'Innocent Man Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . Judge vacates Tommy Ward's sentences in 'The Innocent Man' case SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Courtesy Netflix. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. "Everything about their confession has been proven wrong by the discovery of the body," attorney Janet Davis noted in the documentary. Among Fontenots legal team is Donald B. VerrilliJr., the U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016. 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. @WardInnocentMan. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. The state court of criminal appeals voted unanimously to reinstate Tommy Ward's murder conviction. Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals, however, argued that the district court had abused its discretion in that instance. An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) / Twitter To the extent that this could be the next Sinatra of our time." 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. 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. The judge also called the evidence against Ward circumstantial and said nearly all of the details in his confession were inaccurate. 19 talking about this. In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. Tommy Ward is still behind bars waiting for an appeal. The tribulations faced by the pair are depicted in Netflix's latest true crime docu-series, "The Innocent Man," based on the John Grisham book of the same name. Court upholds overturned conviction in 'Innocent Man' case Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. Attorneys in Ada 'Innocent Man' murder case 'blown away' by content of 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. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenots alibi and other suspects in the murder provided solid proof of his probable innocence. Tommy Ward was one of two men serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway in Ada. 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. 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. Freed man in 'Dreams of Ada' case slams state appeal to Supreme Court Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and filming for Halloween Ends to release on October 14, 2022 with! 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. The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. Attorneys for a man convicted for the 1984 kidnapping and murder of an Ada woman say they plan to file a federal case to try and overturn his conviction after the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals overturned a lower court's order that would have made him a free man. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. More:Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Tommy Ward- The Innocent Man's Legal Team's Page | Ada OK - Facebook 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. We are pressing forward exploring the possibility of going to federal court with additional appeals, Barrett said. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. We cant do it without your support. Appears the state will retry Karl Fontenot, who was released 2 years ago and subject of #netflix special. 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. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. 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. 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. Ward's case, and others, have been the. 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. 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. Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. 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. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. 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. 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. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear 'Innocent Man' case Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison.