He's very disappointed that he's still in prison for a murder he didn't commit, Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, said Tuesday. 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. It was based on the 2006 true-crime book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham. - QUINCY JONES, 27 time GRAMMY-award-winning producer "A fine singer A lovely, silky voice." 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Both Ward and . Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. 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! 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. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. 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.. Tweet Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and 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. In 2020, Fontenot's co-defendant in the case, Tommy Ward, also had his conviction overturned in state court, but prosecutors have appealed that decision to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. So where are the two men now, more than 30 years later? I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. Additional reporting by The Associated Press. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. We promise to never spam you. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. She doesnt believe he could be given a fair trial after more than 30 years. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. More to come. have asked the court of appeals . Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. 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 Attorney Generals office claims in its filing that Fontenot and Ward attempted to minimize their involvement in Haraways death during their confessions by saying the primary aggressor was another man who was never charged with the crime. 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. Ward's case, and others, have been the. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. 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.. As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. 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. At 17, he and his band were one of the youngest opening acts in Las Vegas history, completing 90 shows for Billboard #1 artist and Las Vegas headliner of the year, Frankie Moreno. The attorney generals office now has 20 days to respond. Tommy Ward is still behind bars waiting for an appeal. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. We cant do it without your support. 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. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenot's alibi and other suspects in the murder provided "solid proof" of his probable innocence. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. 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. Fontenot. Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. 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. John 3:16. These dream confessions 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. mail YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. 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.. 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. 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. However, she would never be seen alive again. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 7726 5241 Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US Are allowed finish! Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. 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. Fontenot is free on bond as the appeals process plays out. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Ward's most recent recording, "Home" with GRAMMY nominated country artist Mark Winston Kirk, is currently in the Top 100 on regional radio and is being played in more than 15 states across the United States, including Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. 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 . Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. 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. This contradicted the confessions, which stated that Haraway had been stabbed to death. 19 talking about this. 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. 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! Fontenot's case was picked up by The Innocence Project in 2011, but there's . Ward's accurate description of the blouse was the only information that he gave that was correct in his confession, Barrett said. We are pressing forward exploring the possibility of going to federal court with additional appeals, Barrett said. Ward has also had a widely celebrated opening act run for comedy legend Louie Anderson during his tenure at the Plaza Hotel. 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 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 most recent exculpatory disclosure came in 2019, 31 years after Fontenots conviction.. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. Fontenot was released from prison about one year ago after a federal judge found he also didnt receive a fair trial. Wards attorneys said its far too late for Ward to receive a fair trial. @WardInnocentMan. Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. The newlywed college student worked as a clerk there at night. The only evidence the state used in convicting Ward was a confession that he later claimed was spun wildly from a dream he reported, and only came out after intense pressure and hours of brutal interrogation. remains wrongfully imprisoned . Oct 28, 2022. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. 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.

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