Tommy Ward's brother is speaking out, saying there is new evidence that proves the wrong men were convicted in the 1984 murder of Donna Haraway in Ada. The reversals in the case are being appealed. At his first trial, he claimed he was at his mothers house on April 28, 1984. Mr. Ward asks this Court to vacate his convictions and sentence and order a new trial.. His life will be celebrated at Lakewood Funeral Home on Saturday, July 27 at 12 Noon with visitation one hour prior. In Wards case, a state judge overturned his conviction in December, but the Attorney Generals Office appealed the case to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, which ruled he was to remain incarcerated during the appeal. By Tom Ward. Were reviewing the opinion and to determine what our next steps will be, said Alex Gerszweski, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Attorney Generals office. More damningly, Haraway had not been been stabbed as the young men had described. Miss Sheila and family, my sincere condolences on the loss of a great man. You may send condolences to the family at www.fcfhs.com. A spokesman for the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office said the states attorneys were still reviewing the 178-page order by the 10th Circuit. Tommy Wayne Ward, age 74, of Molino, Florida met his Heavenly Father on October 22, 2022. . He was preceded in death by his parents; seven brothers, Ebb, Bud, Junie, Willie, Ray, Lonnie and Bill. Then in 2022, Urquidy returned to make 29 appearances (28 starts) and went 13-8 with a 3.94 ERA and 134 strikeouts over 164.1 innings. After doing so, they described the blouse to detectives and said it was missing, according to the court filing. At his second trial, he claimed he was at a party. Because the facts of the case and the proof against Ward and Fontenot havent changed. During closing arguments, the prosecutor told the jury That blouse is tied to this Defendant like an anchor to a boat and he cant shake it, according to court transcripts. San Francisco Bay Area. Most significantly, both men said Haraway was stabbed to death, and Fontenot told police the body had been buried near the Ada power plant. The state has 120 days from the date of Tuesdays ruling to decide whether to retry Fontenot, according to the ruling. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Of course, this testimony of Ward is never mentioned in the book or movie.. The investigators seem to have taken on the roles of prosecutor, judge and jury, determining that the only relevant evidence was evidence which fit their theory of the case, Inge wrote. You have permission to edit this article. The victim, Donna Haraway, disappeared from a convenience store where . Tommy Ward is a 25-year-old jazz crooner from Las Vegas who has made a huge impact online with his videos with a combined 5M+ views across platforms . . A panel of judges finds that prosecutors had an extremely weak case against Karl Fontenot. [Warning: Spoilers for "The Innocent Man" ahead!]. According to court records filed Dec. 18, a district judge wrote, " this court finds that the factual contentions made by the petitioner, Thomas Jesse Ward, in his amended application for post-conviction relief are sufficient as a matter of law to establish a prima facie showing the petitioner is entitled to post-conviction relief. Most significantly, both confessed the clerk was stabbed to death and Fontenot told police the body had been buried near the Ada power plant. "Tommy" Ward Jr. 1942 - 2022. Published: 12 Mar 2022, 08:00. Jan 28, 2022 Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. In Wards case, a state judge overturned his conviction in December, but the Attorney Generals Office appealed the case to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, which ruled he was to remain incarcerated during the appeal. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. Oklahoma inmate records show that Ward is now serving out a life sentence, and Fontenot is serving life without the possibility of parole. 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'. They were both later sentenced to life in prison. However, Haraways body was discovered the following year more than 20 miles from the location Ward said Haraway was killed at and was killed by a single gunshot wound rather than multiple stab wounds, according to court records. The ruling went through an in-depth examination of the case, its witnesses, the suspect descriptions from witnesses, obscene phone calls to Haraway that were never investigated. 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. Ward and the Angels agreed on a one-year, $2.75 million contract Friday to avoid arbitration, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. Ward was retried in 1989 and sentenced to life in prison. She had been shot in the head. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Ward's attorney, Mark Barrett, will also be filing an appeal for exoneration. 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. Ward was featured in the Netflix. Subscribe and Follow on Facebook and YouTube for the latest music. Ward is currently still in prison while the appeals process continues. 1085, this court hereby vacates and sets aside the judgements and sentences entered against Ward on July 10, 1989, dismisses the charges originally filed against him in Pontotoc County case number CRF-84-183 and re-tried in Pottawatomie County case number CRF-1988-208; and discharges Ward from the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.". In response, Steve Haraway said he and his sister-in-law spoke to Ada police detectives the day after Donna Haraway went missing, and at the request of the detectives went through Donnas things to see what was missing. Tommy ~ not sure where we disagree. The series is based on Grishams best-selling book. Last Update. They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel. Ada store clerk Denice Haraway was abducted and killed on April 28, 1984. Tommy Ward, one of the subjects of Netflix 's true-crime doc series The Innocent Man, is a step closer to freedom after a judge vacated his conviction. Courtesy. But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. On Friday Shanahan told reporters Ward was diagnosed with a concussion after the game and is in concussion protocol. A Dispatch and Driver Manager at Amory Transportation Tommy Ward is a Dispatch and Driver Manager at Amory Transportation based in Hampton, Virginia. Due to the passage of time, the Court is of the opinion Ward will not be able to receive a fair trial, District Judge Paula Inge wrote. She had been shot in the head. Ward, now 60, was convicted in 1985, along with. 0 have signed. Fontenots death sentence was later reduced to life and Wards conviction has also been overturned, although he remains in prison while the state appeals. High 63F. Fontenot and co-defendant Tommy Ward's initial convictions and death sentences for Harway's 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. Contact. These violations of Mr. Wards state and federal constitutional rights, along with newly discovered evidence of Mr. Wards innocence, require that Mr. Ward be granted relief. Send simple, comforting meals with Home Chef. It proves the police didnt tell him because they didnt know.. Later, when Haraways body was discovered, details of that confession did not match the evidence, such as what Haraway was wearing, how she was killed and where her body was taken. Fontenot and co-defendant Tommy Wards 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. To plant trees in memory, please visit the, I remember leading Wayne to Christ in the early 1980s, I remember leading Wayne to Christ as Savior in the early 1980s, Faith Chapel Funeral Home and Crematory (North). Its clear as day.. Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. The Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower courts ruling that he be released. In a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project, the author discussed their fates. During Wards re-trial, the prosecution stated that the missing blouse was the only material detail from Wards confession that was not disproven, uncorroborated or known by police beforehand, so that detail could not have been given to Ward to include in his confession. Both Karl Fontenot and Tommy Ward are again challenging their convictions for the 1984 murder of an Ada convenience store clerk. Based in Atlanta, GA, Tommy Ward Music caters to clients across the nation, with a reputation for providing live music entertainment for Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, and exclusive private events. Ward was arrested after his video-taped confession on October 18, 1984, and has remained in custody for over thirty-five years. Ward and Fontenots convictions were later overturned by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, since the two were tried together, but both were again found guilty after they received new trials in 1989. The ruling found that there was evidence of Fontenots innocence, including statements provided by other witnesses that placed Fontenot at a party at the time of Haraways disappearance, a string of obscene phone calls to Haraway before her disappearance, and affidavits from witnesses stating that Fontenot did not resemble the individuals who were seen in the store during Haraways disappearance. Instead, she had died from a gunshot wound. In early 2019, a trove of previously-unreleased case documents were uncovered at the Ada Police Department by Wards attorneys. Months after Haraway went missing, police again questioned Ward during a 9-hour interrogation, during which Ward admitted he had a dream in which he, Fontenot and a third person kidnapped, raped and murdered Haraway by stabbing her multiple times.