Quick 5 questions for Dennis Fritz

1- Give us some background about what happened to you. I was living Ada, Okla., raising my young daughter. I was a science teacher. A murder happened in Ada. Debbie Sue Carter was viciously murdered and raped. A year before, I met an individual named Ronnie Williamson. Ronnie had bipolar disorder and the police didn’t like him. He would do bizarre things. They(police) zeroed in on Ronnie and me. They had no evidence yet they wanted to solve this crime.

2- So how you did get out of prison? I started working on my own case and learned criminal law inside and out. I contacted the Innocence Project for help. I was released on the strength of DNA evidence testing. When we were released, the actual murderer of the crime escaped from minimum security prison in Oklahoma. He was serving time for another crime. They had tested his DNA against the crime scene DNA and they matched. Anyway, he escaped from prison after knowing we had been exonerated. They caught him.

3- What inspired you to write “Journey Toward Justice?” Five years after we were released, I read an Associated Press article that said John Grisham was going to write a book about our case. I told myself that if John Grisham can write a book about my case, well so can I. I collaborated with John for about nine months on his writing of “The Innocent Man.” John gave me his one and only endorsement on my book.

4 -When you read or hear criminal accusations against suspects in the news media, do you believe them or are you deeply skeptical? I’m very deeply skeptical. There could possibly 10 to 20 percent people who are actually innocent who have been found guilty. After 10 years and they’re still screaming their innocence, then they’re innocent. I can tell by being around people who have been incarcerated for something they didn’t do by how they act. They lose that con job after a year or two in prison.

5- In ways did the ghosts of your ordeal haunt you as you penned the book? Five years had passed from the time I was released to when I started writing. I had feelings of alienation and paranoia. When I would hear a car door slam outside, I’d start thinking in my mind the fear of seeing the cops in my driveway. If I saw a police car drive by my house, I would kind of freeze. I tried to talk myself out in so many ways of not writing the book, but I had a good and strict editor.
By Michael Glover - michael.glover@examiner.net
The Examiner Independence, MO —
http://www.examiner.net/news/x1769696353/Quick-5-questions-for-Dennis-Fritz

Dennis Fritz Guest Speaker at First Christian Church in St. Joseph MO.

"A matter of life or death," by Erin Wisdom is in the Saturday St. Joseph News-Press.

Dennis Fritz lost 11 years of his life.

Mr. Fritz, who now lives in Kansas City, was sentenced to life in prison in 1988 after being charged with the murder of a woman who worked at a bar in Ada, Okla., he’d been known to frequent. Police claimed that hair found at the crime scene had been microscopically analyzed and determined to be his.

It wasn’t until 1999 that further DNA testing revealed the hair was not Mr. Fritz’s but actually belonged to the man who had been the state’s main witness at Mr. Fritz’s trial. Mr. Fritz was freed at last — but not before years of injustice took away his chance to see his daughter grow up and to otherwise live his life as he should have been able to.

Unfortunately, statistics show Mr. Fritz isn’t alone in being wrongly charged with murder and suffering severe consequences because of it. Some have been exonerated only after being put to death for crimes they allegedly committed — and it’s in light of this that First Christian Church in St. Joseph has hosted Mr. Fritz and others with similar stories who shared about their experiences.

In addition, the church voted Sunday to pass a resolution calling for a moratorium on executions of Missouri inmates on death row. This resolution supports a bill now in the Missouri legislature — HB 1870 — sponsored by Rep. Bill Deeken of Jefferson City. If the bill is passed, no executions will take place in Missouri until 2012. And during this moratorium period, a committee will study the details of cases in which the death penalty has been sought and will recommend remedies for deficiencies it finds.

“In Matthew 25, Jesus specifically mentions ministry to people in prison as ministry to him,” says the Rev. Chase Peeples, pastor of First Christian. “In our society, there is perhaps no group that could be considered 'the least of these’ more than people in prison, especially those in death row. Without approving of any crimes that may have been committed, we can declare that because of God’s love for them, each person on death row deserves a fair trial, competent legal counsel and access to the latest in DNA technology.”
Link

Tommy Ward's Dream Gets Him Death Penalty - A Cousin Starts a Blog For Help

Please Help My Cousin Prove His Innocence

My cousin Tommy Ward was wrongfully convicted of Murder over 20 years ago. Despite evidence, he was convicted because of a dream he had about the event. The details of his dream/confession were nowhere close to matching the actual events of the victims death, rape, or the location of her body. My family and I have been stripped of the joys of having Tommy in our lives for far too long. He has been denied a wonderful life because the justice system needed someone to blame for the crime.

Persons with information about the Denice Haraway homicide may send e-mail to:
barrettlawoffice@gmail.com
Or write to:
Mark Barrett, Attorney
P.O. Box 896
Norman, Oklahoma 73070

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

~Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot were convicted of murdering Denise Haraway. Haraway, 24, worked part-time at McAnally’s convenience store in Ada, Oklahoma. She was last seen leaving the store on April 28, 1984, with a man who had his arm around her waist. The two appeared to be a pair of lovers. The store was found deserted with the cash register drawer opened and emptied. Haraway’s purse and driver’s license were found inside, and her car nearby.

~Months later, after Haraway still remained missing, police questioned Tommy Ward, who resembled the man accompanying Haraway from the store. After days of interrogation, Ward confessed to the crime.

He also implicated his friend, Karl Fontenot, and Odell Titsworth, a man he never met. During the videotaped confession, Ward frequently forgot Titsworth’s name and called him “Titsdale.” Ward said the three gang-raped Haraway, murdered her with Titsworth’s knife, and dumped her body near Sandy Creek.

~Fontenot was soon arrested and confessed after only two hours of interrogation. His confession was similar to Ward’s but contradicted it many details, like the order in which the three raped Haraway, or the location and number of stab wounds on her. Fontenot said the three brought Haraway into an abandoned house, where Titsworth poured gasoline over her body and burned down the house. Ward had mentioned a burned down house in an earlier unrecorded confession, and police knew it existed.

~Titsworth was arrested, but he had broken his arm two days before the murder in a fight with police. Medical and police records made him an unlikely suspect, and he was never charged with murder. While police were sifting through the remains of the burned down house, the owner appeared. After police told him of Fontenot’s confession, the owner said Fontenot’s story was impossible, as he himself had burned down the house 10 months before the murder.

~At trial, the prosecutor presented the confessions and was forced into the position of telling the jury the defendants were lying about details while asking the jury to believe them anyway.

Two jailhouse informants supplemented the confessions. One said Ward confessed, while the other said he overheard Fontenot talking to himself, saying, “I knew we’d get caught. I knew we’d get caught.”
The jurors returned with guilty verdicts and death penalties.

~Haraway’s body was found four month’s later in Hughes County, far from anyplace that was searched. She had not been stabbed or burned, but died from a single gunshot to the head.

Other Links of Importance:
http://journeytowardjusticebookexcerpts.blogspot.com/
http://www.wardandfontenot.com/about.html
http://barbarasblogspot.blogspot.com/2007/05/karl-fontenot-and-tommy-ward-deserve.html
http://www.nysda.org/Publications/06_DreamsofAda.pdf

There are three books about this and other wrongful convictions by ex-DA Bill Peterson of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma.

The First is titled, "The Dreams of Ada", Author Robert Mayer, next two are:

"Journey Towards Justice", Author Dennis Fritz,

and "The Innocent Man" , Author John Grisham.

Please help spread the word about this tragedy that has been plaguing my family for over two decades.

Your comments are very much appreciated.

Thank you,
Stacy

(cousin of Tommy Ward)

My Blog Here Please Help My Cousin Tommy Ward Is Innocent

Book Excerpt Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz One Day Before Freedom

One day before freedom:
I got back up in my bunk and pondered the many questions that plagued my mind. When I awoke to the jangle of keys in the door, I realized that I must have dozed off for a while. The guard said that there were some people there to see me. I followed him to the visiting room.
As I turned to enter, I saw a beautiful young woman standing in front of me. In a split second, I realized that this radiant woman with the beautiful smile was Elizabeth. My blessed mother was standing by her side. An uncontrollable feeling welled up in my chest and I began to cry. In that very same visiting room years earlier I had last seen Elizabeth as a young girl.

Now she was grown up. She looked so much like her mother. We stood for a moment, uncertain about what to do as we stared at each other, our faces quivering with emotion. Then we lunged into each other’s arms, embracing each other with every ounce of emotion that had been locked away inside us for the past twelve years.

With our hearts, minds, and bodies united, we embraced for what seemed like a lifetime—the lifetime that we had been cheated out of.
“Daddy, you are going home tomorrow,” Elizabeth said, her voice trembling. I could feel her hot tears falling on my neck and shoulders. “I’ve missed you and love you so much, Dad.”

Page 447
Excerpt from "Journey Toward Justice" by Dennis Fritz Copyright © 2006 by Seven Locks Press.
Excerpted by permission of Seven Locks Press All rights reserved.
No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
On Amazon - Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz On Amazon Here

Ronald Keith Williamson Baseball Player 1972-1973 Stats and Photo

Ronald Keith Williamson
Bats Left, Throws Right
High School Asher High School
Born February 3, 1953 in Ada, OK USA
Died December 4, 2004 near Tulsa, OK USA
Catcher Ronald Williamson was the 41st pick in the 1971 amateur draft, a second-round selection by the Oakland Athletics.

He spent the 1972 season primarily with the Coos Bay-North Bend A's, hitting .265/~.341/.361 in 52 games.

His 23 passed balls in 46 games behind the plate tied for the lead in the Northwest League.

He also briefly was with the Burlington Bees, going 1 for 8 with four strikeouts in 7 games.

In 1973, Ronald had a rotten year, hitting .137/~.247/.153 for the Key West Conchs with only 13 runs produced in 59 games.

He fielded .947, the worst of any Florida State League catcher to play 15 or more games, and had 16 passed balls in 41 outings.

He went 1 for 3 with two walks with Burlington.
Williamson's life went into a tailspin after that.




Ron Williamson became a drug and alcohol addict and suffered from mental illness. In 1982, Debra Sue Carter, a waitress in a bar he often went to, was found dead. Williamson was cited as a suspect by the police five years later on flimsy testimony but was found guilty and sentenced to death in 1988.
After 11 years on death row, Williamson was cleared by DNA testing, and was finally freed from possible execution. Ron Williamson died in a nursing home of cirrhosis five years after being freed. Author John Grisham read his obituary in The New York Times and made him the subject of his first non-fiction book, The Innocent Man, published in 2006.
Sources: 1972-1973 Baseball Guides, book reviews of The Innocent Man.

Newspaper Press Release from 1971
OAKLAND SIGNS RON WILLIAMSON Ron Williamson, former Asher and Byng baseball player, signed a bonus contract over the weekend with the Oakland Athletics. George Bradley, scouting supervisor for the Athletics, said Williamson signed for a "substantial bonus," but no terms were disclosed. He will probably be assigned to Coos Bay, Oregon temporarily. Williamson led Asher to two straight state titles after transferring from Byng. He was an all-stater this year and the Number 2 draft choice of the Athletics. End
Ronald Williamson's co-defendant, Dennis Fritz was convicted after a swift trail. The vote from a single juror saved him from the death penalty, and he was sentenced to life behind bars.
You can read Dennis Fritz's story in his new book "Journey Toward Justice". The companion book to The Innocent Man .

Grisham's Eyes Opened With Help Of Dennis Fritz On Death Penalty and Wrongful Conviction Cases

In an interview published in yesterday’s Jackson Free Press, Grisham says he met many wrongfully convicted people while researching the book, and “it doesn’t take too many conversations with men who are imprisoned and will probably never get out, who are innocent, to kind of flip you, to make you suddenly aware of this problem. That’s what happened to me.”

It was Ron Williamson’s obituary in the Dec. 9, 2004, issue of The New York Times that caught attorney and author John Grisham’s eye.

“It had all the elements of a novel,” Grisham said in an interview with the Jackson Free Press. “The small town Southern feel to it; the small town sport hero going off to make his mark in the major leagues and failing; a grizzly murder; a wrongful conviction; a trip to death row; insanity; a near execution; exoneration; the eventual conviction of the real killer; a lawsuit to recover damages. I could not make that up, and if I did make it up, nobody would believe it. It’s too rich to pass up.”

After 11 years on Oklahoma’s death row, DNA evidence proved that Williamson was not the killer of 21-year-old Debra Carter. He and Dennis Fritz, who a jury in Ada, Okla., also convicted of the crime, walked away free men on April 15, 1999.

But for Ron Williamson, exoneration came too late; he was unable get his life back on track. His long history with drug and alcohol abuse—compounded by bipolar disease, personality disorders and a mild form of schizophrenia, all untreated during his incarceration—had taken their toll. The one-time minor-league baseball hero died of cirrhosis of the liver at age 51 on Dec. 4, 2004, less than five years after his release. At the time of his death, people mistook him for a man 30 years older, his hair prematurely white and his skin sallow around his empty, sunken eyes.

Grisham was so intrigued by the story that he spent 18 months writing his only non-fiction book to date, “The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town,” which was published in October 2006.

“Non-fiction is brutal,” he said. “I had to hire a full-time research assistant just to plow through all the documents and keep everything straight.”

Hard work aside, it was the process of writing the book and his friendship with Fritz—who received a life sentence in the Carter case, and whom Grisham credits with helping him—that opened his eyes to the problems of death-penalty cases and wrongful convictions.
Source Jackson Free Press,
Read More About Dennis Fritz HERE

BARBARA'S JOURNEY TOWARD JUSTICE FORUM

Barbara's Journey Toward Justice has added a Forum and Message Board , you can start a Discussion by adding a post for others to see and join in. Go to right sidebar and click on the blue words View Message Boards. You will see it under Dennis Fritz's book, "Journey Toward Justice" and before the comments. Just put a Title in Subject Line to begin the rest is easy. Posting a message is done in the same way. Contact me if you have a problem posting. Thank you all for reading my blog and hope to hear for you. Message/Forum Rules
Please abide by the extremely reasonable rules if you intend to post in the forums.

UPDATE JULY 7th, 2008 - Sorry FORUM CLOSED

Photo Debra Sue Carter

In Memory of Debra Sue Carter

On Dec. 8, 1982, a 21-year-old Ada, Oklahoma woman, named Debra Sue Carter, was raped and killed after she got off work at the Coachlight Club in Ada, Oklahoma. Dennis Fritz, and friend Ron Williamson were arrested for the crime five years later, but were freed from prison in 1999 after DNA evidence matched Glen Gore. The case is detailed in John Grisham's non-fiction bestseller "The Innocent Man," and Dennis Fritz's book. "Journey Toward Justice".
Dennis Fritz and representatives of the New York-based Innocence Project that helped free Williamson and Fritz, are pushing for state commissions that would look at what mistakes were made in cases where convicts later were exonerated. “I’ll always feel the effects of what a false conviction caused,” said Dennis Fritz, “It’s healed, but the scar’s still there.” As I sit here writing this post, I am listening to a CD a friend gave me as a holiday gift. Here are the words along with a photo of Debra Sue Carter:


No Tears

I was watching from a window in Heaven
You seemed so close yet so far
I could see teardrops falling that you shed for me
I saw you crying, calling out my name
I wanted to hold you, tell you I'm OK

No tears will fall in Heaven
Teardrops aren't welcome up here
No tears will fall in Heaven
There's no sorrow, there's no pain
God wiped my tears away


I was walking down the streets of Heaven
I was singing with the angels round the crystal sea
I was dancing on streets of gold when your memory came to me
I wanted to tell you, though you couldn't see
All the shackles are broken now and I am free

Lyrics-Rick and Lisa Wallace
ASCAP All rights reserved
2007

On April 14 2007 Sgt. Brandon Lee Wallace was killed in Fallujah, Iraq when a road-side bomb detonated near his humvee. While searching for a way to bring comfort and healing to those that knew him, miss him and loved him, on October 3rd, 2007, inspiration struck. "No Tears" came about in a moment of divine inspiration. It started with a couple of phrases penned on an envelope and quickly escalated into melody and lyrics that we believe will bring comfort, healing, and hope to the listener.
This CD is in honor of "OUR HERO"
Sgt. Brandon Wallace

In memory of all Fallen Heroes around the world
Dedicated to all Gold Star families and those still
serving in Uniform
CD by Sgt. Brandon's Father Rick and Wife Lisa Wallace


Sgt. Brandon Wallace

Chris L. Ross Next Pontotoc County, Oklahoma District Attorney

The top assistant in the Pontotoc County district attorney's office has been named to head the office. Gov. Brad Henry announced the appointment Chris L. Ross as district attorney for the 22nd District, which encompasses Pontotoc County, Oklahoma.
He succeeds William Peterson, who is resigning effective Jan. 1.
Chris L. Ross, who is 50 has 24 years of experience and has been with the prosecutor's office since 1983. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 1979, Ross earned his law degree from the OU College of Law in 1982. Chris Ross is married and has two children.

During a question-and-answer period at the Oklahoma Bar Association annual meeting urged to tackle wrongful convictions, Pontotoc County First Assistant District Attorney Chris Ross, who prosecuted Glen Gore, outlined changes that have been made in the office since the Debra Sue Carter Rape and Murder case.
He said defense attorneys have immediate access to documents,tapes and other items in the prosecution's files, so a defendant's lawyers do not have to wait until a discover date to obtain information. Ross also said that prosecutors' offices, particularly those in small counties that rarely see capital cases, need more training in handling them. Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater, who said his office also maintains an "open file" policy with defense attorneys, said prosecutors must be kept up to date on forensic science.
It is also important not to gauge prosecutors' success or failure by their conviction rate, he said.
"We've got to change that culture," Prater said.
The idea, he said, is seeing that justice is done.
"It's not a hash mark," Prater said. "It's a human life.

Big changes for Ada, Oklahoma. I wish the Best for Chris Ross and the Great and Proud people of Oklahoma.

During Peterson’s career several high profile murder cases have been tried. Bill Peterson has also been the subject of much controversy because of his prosecutions of Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson. Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson, who were both convicted of the 1982 murder and rape of Debra Sue Carter. After Williamson received a last-minute stay of execution, and Fritz's long-standing efforts to obtain post-conviction DNA testing were successful, DNA results conclusively excluded both men as the source of the semen found in the victim's body. The profile from the semen instead matched Glen Gore. Glen Gore was the prosecutor's key witness. Further DNA testing also proved that not one of the seventeen hairs deemed to be "matches" with Williamson and/or Fritz at the time of trial (under the microscopic analysis then available) belonged to either. As a result, both defendants were exonerated and released from prison in 1999. Bill Peterson also got questionable convictions on Ward and Fontenot , and they are still in prison.
Peterson sued author John Grisham in September 2007 for libel for the portrayal of him in Grisham's first nonfiction book, "The Innocent Man." Other defendants in the lawsuit are:

• Author Dennis Fritz ,who tells his story of his unwarranted prosecution and wrongful conviction his book "Journey Toward Justice".
  


• Barry Scheck, one of Fritz's lawyers who helped exonerate him in 1999, and a co-author of "Actual Innocence," that discusses the case of Williamson and Fritz.
  


• Robert Mayer, author of "The Dreams of Ada." - Mayer's book discusses another Pontotoc County murder case that is also mentioned in Grisham's book. The murder of Denice Haraway and the subsequent investigation, prosecution and conviction of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot. Bill Peterson got questionable convictions on Ward and Fontenot , and they are still in prison. Robert Mayer, author of The Dreams of Ada; and Barry Scheck, with The Innocence Project, have also filed motions asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit against them.
  


• The Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, publisher of "The Innocent Man" and "Actual Innocence."
  


• Random House Inc., which owns Doubleday Dell.
  


• Broadway Books, publisher of "The Dreams of Ada."
  


• Seven Locks Press and/or James C. Riordan, publisher of "Journey Toward Justice."Seven Locks Press and James Riordan have asked that the complaint against them be dismissed for failure to state a claim.


• In addition to Peterson, other plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Gary Rogers, a former Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent, and Melvin Hett, a retired OSBI criminalist. Bill Peterson and Gary Rogers were instrumental in the conviction of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz in the murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma in 1982. The Peterson and Rogers lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges civil conspiracy, libel, placing a person in a false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Miscarriage of Justice

Well, I only thought I had witnessed the greatest miscarriage of justice in the U.S. (the O.J. Simpson case), but after reading John Grisham's, The Innocent Man and Dennis Fritz's, Journey Toward Justice, I am completely assured there must hang some sort of black cloud over the city of Ada. Perhaps the lack of ozone

read more digg story

MSNBC Video Watch Full Episode Online The Accused

Hoda Kotb interviews bestselling author John Grisham about the murder case that resulted in the wrongful conviction of two men in Ada, Oklahoma, and why his first work of nonfiction, The Innocent Man, has generated controversy in law enforcement circles.
Watch the full episode online
1: Real-life Grisham tale
2: Exonerated men
3: Injustice deja vu?
4: Unreliable witness?
5:The D.A. fires back
6: The other court -- public opinion
Seven Locks Press
'Journey Toward Justice'
Read the book Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz The other innocent man in John Grisham's book 'The Innocent Man' and featured on the show "The Accused".

Ada Oklahoma Notable Persons

1. Dennis Fritz - Former teacher, who along with Ron Williamson, was wrongfully convicted of murder and was the other subject of John Grisham's The Innocent Man. Author of an autobiography titled Journey Towards Justice, published by Seven Locks Press in 2006, which is the story of Dennis' life and the twelve years he spent wronfully incarcerated in the Oklahoma prison system.
   
2. Ron Williamson - Former Minor League Baseball player who was wrongfully convicted of murder and was the main subject of John Grisham's The Innocent Man.
3. Don B. Billingsley - Billingsley, who graduated from East Central University in 1993 , previously played high school football in Odessa, Texas for the Permian Panthers. He is portrayed by Garrett Hedlund in the 2004 film Friday Night Lights as tortured tailback who has to try and live up to the expectations of his father.
   
4. Jeremy Castle, a country music star, was born in Blanchard, OK, and attended East Central University.
   
5. Charles "Chuckie" Caufield - Professional baseball player and former outfielder for Oklahoma Sooners, Charles was born in Ada and graduated from Ada High School. He earned All-State honors in basketball as a senior
   
6. Dan Cody, a linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens was born in Ada.
   
7. Lowell Fulson - guitarist, moved to Ada in 1938.
   
8. Mark Gastineau - National Football League all-star, ECU graduate.
   
9. David Jimenez - Professional comedian ECU graduate
   
10. M.G. Kelly - Nationally syndicated disc jockey.
    
11. Kristian Bergsnes - Professional songwriter.
    
12. Robert S. Kerr - Former Oklahoma Governor and long-time US Senator, born in Ada.
    
13. Jane Lawton - Delegate, Maryland General Assembly.
    
14. Zac Maloy - Singer and founding member of post-grunge band The Nixons.
    
15. Jody Newberry - Professional Bull Rider, 2003 PBR Rookie of the Year and 2003 PBR Finals Event Winner.
    
16. Dwayne O'Brien - Singer and founding member of country band Little Texas.
    
17. William Peterson - Pontotoc County district attorney .
    
18. Oral Roberts - Evangelist, born in Ada.
    
19. Blake Shelton – Rising country music star. Has had several top 10 hits.
    
20. Jeremy Shockey – National Football League tight end, born in Ada.
    
21. Leon Polk Smith - Abstract artist known for his work with geometric painting, graduate of East Central University.
    
22. Harland Stonecipher - Founder and CEO of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.

The State Calls Glen Gore : Journey Toward Justice Book Excerpt

"The state calls Glen Gore," Peterson declared in his calm
and bold manner.
Gore was short and stocky with a plump face and black
wavy hair. He was sworn in and sat nervously in the witness chair
as he waited for Peterson to speak.
The district attorney asked Gore to name his past felonies
for which he had received convictions.
"Objections, Your Honor. The state doesn't have the right to
impeach its own witnesses," Barney argued.
"Overruled, Mr Ward. There's an evidence code, and if he's
a hostile witness, I think it's for your own behalf. I will allow him
to proceed.
"Gore had recently been brought back from penitentiary
after he had been convicted of kidnapping, first-degree burglary,
and shooting with the intent to kill. He had a string of other felonies
but he only named the convictions he received time on. He was a
smooth talker once he got started. His answers were straightforward
and without hesitation. His dark, ominous eyes shifted from side
to side as he purported the events of December 7, 1982, the eve
of Debbie's murder.
"I went out to the Coach Light nightclub...............
page 105
Excerpted from Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz Copyright © 2006 by Seven Locks Press. Excerpted by permission of Seven Locks Press All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

I did one book excerpt on my blog, Barbara's Journey Toward Justice and received many emails from readers ... they wanted more. I decided to start another blog just for Dennis Fritz's, Journey Toward Justice Book Excerpts. I will be adding more as time goes by.

Tommy Ward Innocent A Message From His Sister

Tommy Ward's sister Joice sent me an email along with a comment on my blog, "Barbara's Journey Toward Justice". The email she wrote to me was heartbreaking. She knows her brother Tommy Ward is innocent and has the facts to prove it.
Never mind that the police had no real evidence against him, no motive, no prior knowledge of the victim, no crime scene clues, such as fingerprints, blood, semen, hair, saliva, footprints and there was no crime scene. And in spite of the fact that Tommy Ward's dream of the killing has been proven false - and proven false again and again in multiple ways.
I guess that means nothing to the court of law and Ada, Oklahoma police. And for the interrogators from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Joice does read my blog, please post any comments or your thoughts to her here. Joice may God Bless you and your family and with His help your brother Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot will be set free.

Here is the story of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot for people not familiar with the murder case.
From Ward and Fontenot Website
They were literally dreamed onto death row.
And in spite of the fact that the dream has been proven false - and proven false again and again in multiple ways - Karl Fontenot and Tommy Ward remain in prison. Tommy Ward, for hours, told police he didn't kill Denice Haraway.

He told them, however, that he had a dream about her.

That was good enough for the Ada, Oklahoma police. And for the interrogators from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

It took them nine hours of questioning in a locked room for officers to extract the confession from Tommy.

Karl, an impressionable street kid with no family and few friends, was easier to break. After only two hours the police had another confession, one suspiciously similar to Tommy's.

Problem was that the confessions shared some of the same wrong information.

A major mistake was that both identified Odell Titsworth, a man who could not possibly have committed the acts, as the primary culprit in the abduction, rape and killing of Ms. Haraway.

The police questioned Titsworth, realized he couldn't have done it, and let him go.

Never mind that the police had no real evidence against Tommy and Karl, they remained in jail.

There was no motive, no prior knowledge of the victim, no crime scene clues, such as fingerprints, blood, semen, hair, saliva, footprints.

There was no crime scene. At the counter where Ms. Haraway had apparently talked to her abductor, the cigarette in the ashtray was thrown away and the counter was wiped clean.

The site of the killing?

At the time of the trial, there was no site of the killing. There was no body. Ms. Haraway had simply vanished.

At the first trial, not a shred of physical evidence was presented. Yet, both Tommy and Karl were sent to death row.

Four months after the trial, the confessions were proved erroneous in additional ways.

The body was found.

Tommy's dream, the primary evidence against him, had placed the body at the west edge of Ada. The actual body was found in a remote area twenty-five miles east of town.

The prosecution had told the jury, based on the dreams, that Tommy and Karl had killed the young woman with a knife and then burned the body.

It turned out that she had not been stabbed. She was, however, shot once in the head. That head wound had been described by neither Tommy nor Karl.
Karl and Tommy were given new trials.

But they were both again convicted.
They have been incarcerated about 22 years.
Tommy is serving a life sentence. Karl's sentence: life without parole.
As they serve another man's sentence, the real killer walks free.

Karl Fontenot and Tommy Ward Deserve Attention and Need Help - Contact Their Attorney Here With Information or Tips

After reading a Statement from John Grisham below, I felt a need to help Karl and Tommy. Authors of blogs and websites, please pass this information along.
"Never doubt that a small group of bloggers, the internet and concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it has." Quote Barbara Owens - Barbara's Journey Toward Justice

Statement of John Grisham
"It is an intriguing and horrifying story: the story of the dream that got Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot convicted.

Karl and Tommy deserve attention and help.

I encourage anyone with any information about this case to send it to their attorney.

It is important to learn from this nightmare. It is also important that this nightmare somehow be unraveled."

Contact The Attorney for Ward and Fontenot
End of Statement

This is from Ward and Fontenot website;

WHAT CAN BE DONE

Persons with information about the Denice Haraway homicide may send e-mail to:
barrettlawoffice at gmail.com
Or write to:

Mark Barrett, Attorney
P.O. Box 896
Norman, Oklahoma 73070

We are looking for anything that could help prove who is responsible for the death.
Assume that whatever you know or have heard is important. In particular, we are hoping to hear from people who, in 1984, lived near the place where the body was found. END
Haraway’s body was found in Hughes County, far from anyplace that was searched. A remote area twenty-five miles east of Ada. Oklahoma

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot were convicted of murdering Denise Haraway. Haraway, 24, worked part-time at McAnally’s convenience store in Ada, Oklahoma. She was last seen leaving the store on April 28, 1984, with a man who had his arm around her waist. The two appeared to be a pair of lovers. The store was found deserted with the cash register drawer opened and emptied. Haraway’s purse and driver’s license were found inside, and her car nearby.

Months later, after Haraway still remained missing, police questioned Tommy Ward, who resembled the man accompanying Haraway from the store. After days of interrogation, Ward confessed to the crime. He also implicated his friend, Karl Fontenot, and Odell Titsworth, a man he never met. During the videotaped confession, Ward frequently forgot Titsworth’s name and called him “Titsdale.” Ward said the three gang-raped Haraway, murdered her with Titsworth’s knife, and dumped her body near Sandy Creek.

Fontenot was soon arrested and confessed after only two hours of interrogation. His confession was similar to Ward’s but contradicted it many details, like the order in which the three raped Haraway, or the location and number of stab wounds on her. Fontenot said the three brought Haraway into an abandoned house, where Titsworth poured gasoline over her body and burned down the house. Ward had mentioned a burned down house in an earlier unrecorded confession, and police knew it existed.

Titsworth was arrested, but he had broken his arm two days before the murder in a fight with police. Medical and police records made him an unlikely suspect, and he was never charged with murder. While police were sifting through the remains of the burned down house, the owner appeared. After police told him of Fontenot’s confession, the owner said Fontenot’s story was impossible, as he himself had burned down the house 10 months before the murder.

At trial, the prosecutor presented the confessions and was forced into the position of telling the jury the defendants were lying about details while asking the jury to believe them anyway. Two jailhouse informants supplemented the confessions. One said Ward confessed, while the other said he overheard Fontenot talking to himself, saying, “I knew we’d get caught. I knew we’d get caught.” The jurors returned with guilty verdicts and death penalties.

Haraway’s body was found four month’s later in Hughes County, far from anyplace that was searched. She had not been stabbed or burned, but died from a single gunshot to the head. END

Some Interesting Facts;
District Attorney William Peterson had another jailhouse informant whose testimony would cement the Ward and Fontenot case Terri Holland.
Terri Holland claimed she overheard Karl Fontenot confessing, just as she heard Ron Williamson confess. John Grisham wrote about Ron Williamson's story in "The Innocent
Man". You can also read about her in Dennis Fritz's Book "Journey Toward Justice". Terri Holland jailhouse informant provided testimony in 2 Ada Oklamhoma murder cases. Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson Murder Case and Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot Murder Case.

Besides her testimony in 2 murder cases, District Attorney Peterson had to ask a jury to believe two confessions that contradicted one another in almost every way, and both indicated the involvement of a third man that the police department never saw fit to file charges against.Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot received death sentences.
Ward and Fontenot were retried, they both received life sentences.

William Peterson still serves as District Attorney for the City of Ada.

Persons with information about the Denice Haraway homicide may send e-mail to:
____________________________
barrettlawoffice@gmail.com

Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson were exonerated and released in April 1999

From The Innocence Project

DENNIS FRITZ
Incident Year: 1982

Jurisdiction: OK

Charge: Murder

Conviction: 1st Degree Murder

Sentence: Life
Year of Conviction: 1988

Exoneration Year: 1999

Sentence Served: 11 Years

Real perpetrator found? Yes

Contributing Causes: Unreliable/Limited Science, False Confessions, Informants/Snitches

Compensation? Yes


Dennis Fritz, along with co-defendant Ron Williamson, was convicted in 1988, in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, of the murder of Debra Sue Carter. Her body had been found six years earlier. Fritz was sentenced to life in prison. Williamson was sent to death row.

The twenty-one year old victim had left her waitressing job and was found raped and murdered in her apartment the following day. Fritz and Williamson were known to frequent the establishment where the victim worked. The prosecution presented evidence that the victim had previously complained to a friend that they "made her nervous." Williamson had been seen at the restaurant the night of the murder without Fritz.

Fritz was not charged until five years later after the murder (delayed by state exhumation of victim after an incorrect analysis of finger prints at the scene was noted). An inmate that Fritz was paired with eventually came forward and stated that Fritz had confessed to the murder. This jailhouse snitch gave a two hour taped interview revealing what Fritz had allegedly confessed to him. This confession came one day before the prosecution would have been forced to drop the charges against Fritz. Another informant testified that she had heard Williamson threaten to harm his mother as he had the victim. Williamson was also seen at the bar the night of the murder, according to a witness named Glenn Gore. Additionally, police had statements from Williamson regarding a dream he had about the crime.

Forensic testing was performed on various items of evidence. Seventeen hairs were recovered and were "matched" to both Fritz and Williamson. The semen evidence suggested that the perpetrator(s) were non-secretors, as Fritz and Williamson are. Fritz could not remember his exact whereabouts during the day of the crime due to the amount of time, five years, that had passed.

Fritz's appeals were denied. He later contacted the Innocence Project for help. It was learned that the physical evidence was going to be tested due to appeals filed by Ron Williamson's lawyers. Fritz filed an injunction to make sure that the evidence would not be totally consumed until the cases were joined with regard to DNA testing.

DNA testing revealed that neither Fritz nor Williamson deposited the spermatozoa found in the victim. Further testing proved that none of the many hairs that were labeled "matches" belonged to them. The profile obtained from the semen evidence matched Glenn Gore, one of the state's witnesses at trial. Gore escaped from work release shortly after testing was concluded and was later apprehended.

Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson were exonerated and released in April 1999. Williamson had, at one point, come within five days of execution. The two had been wrongfully incarcerated, respectively, for eleven years.

Dennis Fritz wrote a Book called "Journey Toward Justice" click here On Amazon Here
International Orders Order Here Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz From Around The World click on here Amazon International Just type in Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz

NBC Dateline The Accused and John Grisham Comments Here Ada Oklamhoma Murders

Please post your comments about the NBC Dateline Show The Accused aired May 22 here. To post comment click on the word comments below

NBC Dateline Tuesday May 22 The Ada Hour Injustice of Wrongful Convictions Featuring Dennis Fritz Author of Journey Toward Justice

NBC Dateline will air on Tuesday May 22 The Ada Hour.
The Ada Hour will chronicle the repeated injustice of wrongful convictions.
In addition to John Grisham, District Attorney Bill Peterson, Barry Scheck and Robert Mayer the piece will feature Dennis Fritz the author of Journey Toward Justice. Please feel free to post your comments about The Ada Hour here.

They Falsely Accused E-Book By Matt Thompson

Today I receive an email from Matt Thompson telling me his story, his website and and his E-Book. I told him I would Add and Share it in a post.
This is from his website.

THEY FALSELY ACCUSED is a book about yet another man wrongly convicted in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma.

It's more of the same involving the legal system in Ada, as it reflects small-town America. Matt Thompson was convicted at trial of rape (yet acquitted of a second charge) and sent to prison with a fifteen-year sentence.

New evidence brought hope for a successful appeal, but that hope died more than five years later with the exhaustion of his appeals.

The lack of evidence, police trickery, and shifty stories are disturbingly similar to what happened to the men in THE INNOCENT MAN and THE DREAMS OF ADA.

Ninety-five percent of the book was written in the summer of 2000, before anyone knew where Ada was, but finding a publisher has been difficult because there has been no legal exoneration.

My goal this year is to self-publish if nothing else, and get the book into prison libraries and public libraries in America. Then almost everyone could have access to reading it through inter-library loan programs.

Please contact my friend (and literary agent) Jeff Schmidt of NY Creative Management with any publishing offers or requests.

In the meantime, the e-book tells the story just the same. The final chapter is a must read of what to do if falsely accused:
how to investigate, utilize your lawyer and handle the police and legal authorities.

We've known about the Pontotoc County injustices for a long time around here, and I'm sure glad others are learning of it too.

We can't wait for you to read THEY FALSELY ACCUSED. END

Another Case Pontotoc County, Oklahoma.
Dennis Fritz The Other Innocent Man in John Grisham's Book The Innocent Man.

Dennis Fritz writes his own story. Endorsed on Jacket by John Grisham and States on Jacket Compelling and Fascinating.

A Companion book to The Innocent Man, Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz. True Crime, Murder and Injustice in a Small Town. Journey Toward Justice is a testimony to the Triumph of the human Spirit and is a Memoir. Dennis Fritz was wrongfully convicted of rape and murder after a swift trail.

The only thing that saved him from the Death Penalty was a lone vote from a juror. Dennis Fritz was the other Innocent man mentioned in John Grisham's Book. which mainly is about Ronnie Williamson, Dennis Fritz's co-defendant.

Both were exonerated after spending 12 years in prison.
The real killer was one of the Prosecution's Key Witness. Read about why he went on a special diet of his while in prison, amazing and shocking. Dennis Fritz's Story of unwarranted prosecution and wrongful conviction needs to be
heard. Look for his book in book stores or at Amazon.com , Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz, Publisher Seven Locks Press 2006. ..

Read about how he wrote hundreds of letters and appellate briefs in his own defense and immersed himself in an intense study of law. He was a school teacher and a ordinary man whose wife was brutally murdered in 1975 by a deranged 17 year old neighbor.

On May 8th 1987, Five years after Debbie Sue Carter's rape and murder he was home with his young daughter and put under arrest, handcuffed and on his way to jail on charges of rape and murder.
After 10 years in prison he discovered The Innocence Project, a non-profit legal organization.

With the aid of Barry Scheck and DNA evidence Dennis Fritz was exonerated on April 15,1999 Since then, it has been a long hard road filled with twist and turns and now on his Journey Toward Justice.

He never blamed the Lord and solely relied on his faith in God to make it through. He waited for God's time and never gave up.


Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz click here On Amazon Here
International Orders Order Here Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz From Around The World click on here Amazon International Just type in Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz

Law Day in Oklahoma May 1 and The Accompanying “Ask A Lawyer” Television Program

Oklahoma lawyers will offer free legal advice May 1 through a toll-free hotline on Tuesday, May 1 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. The statewide hotline will be staffed by Oklahoma City and Tulsa attorneys. The toll-free number to call is (800) 456-8525.

The accompanying “Ask A Lawyer” television program will air May 1 at 7 p.m. on OETA stations across the state. The Ask A Lawyer free legal advice project is one of several events in which Oklahoma lawyers participate in observance of Law Day.

This is the 29th year the Oklahoma Bar Association has offered the service as part of the state and national celebration of Law Day. The Law Day theme this year is, “Empowering Youth, Assuring Democracy.” This theme provided the inspiration for Oklahoma school children to participate in the annual Law Day contests organized by the committee and sponsored by the OBA.
It’s all about teaching the public more about their rights and the role the legal system plays in our lives.

Here is an excerpt from Ada Evening News
About The Event:

Pontotoc County Bar President David N. Smith has appointed Kaycie Sheppard as county Law Day chairperson. The Law Day chairperson works in conjunction with the state bar’s Law Day Committee to coordinate the Ask A Lawyer call-in event. The state committee is chaired by Oklahoma City lawyer Giovanni Perry.

During the hour-long “Ask A Lawyer” television show, a series of segments will be shown to provide a glimpse into the lives of three Oklahomans who found their rights in jeopardy and how lawyers and our legal system helped them.

Dennis Fritz, a subject of the recent John Grisham book “The Innocent Man,” spent nearly 12 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. During “Ask A Lawyer,” he shares the story of his exoneration. Viewers will also meet Chloe Smith, a young girl who faced expulsion from school after a drug dog sniffed out legal, prescribed medication in her purse, as well as Don Johnson, a firefighter hurt on the job, who needed an attorney after his workers’ compensation claim was denied.

The show also will feature a segment on the Oklahoma High School Mock Trial program, sponsored by Oklahoma’s lawyers.
To Find out more read the article in its entirety From Ada Evening News click Here


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You can read about the case in Dennis Fritz's Book.
Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz click here On Amazon Here
International Orders Order Here Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz From Around The World click on here Amazon International Just type in Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz