Ward's newly released EP "From This Moment On," (2022) produced by LeCoq Records, showcases his stunning vocal abilities . Wr Hines Ward - NFL.com /a > attorneys representing Tommy Ward was one of two serving! Tommy Ward - YouTube Ward was featured in the Netflix. The convictions were based almost entirely on accounts they said they retrieved from dreams. When you read their briefs, they dont take issue with the fact that this information was withheld from him. Ward and Fontenot were sentenced to death on January 21, 1985 after being found guilty of murdering Haraway. A state judge overturned Wards conviction in 2020, but the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has appealed the ruling. Additional reporting by The Associated Press. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Denice Haraway of Ada, Oklahoma went in for an ordinary day of work at her convenience store job on April 28, 1984. Fontenot is currently awaiting the results of a federal appeal. A federal judge in Muskogee overturned Fontenot's conviction in late 2019. "Tommy is the epitome of great music. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine a light on darkness in Oklahoma? Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. 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. Judge orders release or new trial for 'Innocent Man' defendant Prisoner seen in Netflix's The Innocent Man has murder conviction He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. The investigators seem to have taken on the role of prosecutor, judge and jury, determining that the only relevant evidence was evidence that fit their theory of the case.. 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. 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. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. But the men quickly recanted and have claimed for decades that police coerced them to say they killed Haraway. 19 talking about this. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. Oklahomas Court of Criminal Appeals, however, argued that the district court had abused its discretion in that instance. 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. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. More to come. U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear 'Innocent Man' case Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. 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. 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. Tweet Oklahoma Attorney General responds to innocence claims by 'Innocent Man [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. 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. Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. 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. Karl Fontenot: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. His previous EPs "Forget Me Not" and "Merry Christmas" both reached the Top 10 on iTunes jazz charts on the first day of their release. 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. The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the 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. The organization has not offered an update on the status of their efforts. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. 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. 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. Tommy Ward has been in prison for 35 years and was supposed to be released today after a judge dismissed Ward's murder conviction. Attorneys in Ada 'Innocent Man' murder case 'blown away' by content of Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world. Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. 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. Tommy Ward. However, she would never be seen alive again. 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. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. We are pressing forward exploring the possibility of going to federal court with additional appeals, Barrett said. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and filming for Halloween Ends to release on October 14, 2022 with! 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. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. Fontenot, 57 and Tommy Ward, 61, were both twice convicted in Haraways murder. To the extent that this could be the next Sinatra of our time." 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. Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. 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. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. We promise to never spam you. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. His conviction is the subject of the Netflix docu-series "The . Forget Me Not EP available now on all major platforms. Fontenot was released from prison after a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in 2019 that the state committed numerous constitutional violations. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. They cant. PublishedDecember 26, 2020 at 10:50 AM CST, KGOU | Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life before his conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court. You can opt-out at any time. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. Haraways body was located after the convictions. 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! 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. Barrett noted that the appeals court ordered the lower court to consider an additional claim regarding new evidence discovered in 2019. 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. Its clear as day.. 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. Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) / Twitter 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. Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. 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. Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. 37 years since Ada murder, Ward still in custody - KTEN Tommy Ward to be set free . The Oklahoma attorney general is appealing the ruling. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. Ward remained in prison while the state appealed the ruling, The Associated Press reported at the time. Court upholds overturned conviction in 'Innocent Man' case He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. 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. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, A judge reversed the conviction of Thomas Ward, known to the public as Tommy Ward, in 2020, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile, Tommy Ward in the 2018 Netflix docuseries The Innocent Man'. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Share. 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.