U.S. Supreme Court Declines To Hear 'Innocent Man' Case | News

Maybe your like

Skip to main content You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close site-logo

Newsletter
Facebook

SUBSCRIBELOGIN News

Local News
Nation
Education
Business
Turnpike News

Sports

High School Sports
OU Sports
Thunder
National Sports

Opinion

Editorials
Columns
Letters

Newspapers In Education E-Paper Puzzles & Comics

Comics
Puzzles
Games

App Norman Magazine Special Sections

Reader's Choice 2025
Tales of a Twister
Expressions - Cleveland County Creates
Class of 2025

Discover Norman Celebrations Community

Celebrations
Anniversary
Engagements
Weddings
Births
Events
Photos
Live Norman

Classifieds

Jobs
Autos
Homes
Place An Ad
Garage Sales
Business and Services
Your Ad Your Way
Public Notices

Obituaries Public Notices

State Public Notices

Purchase Photos
Submit a Letter to the Editor
Submit a News Tip
Place an Obituary

Start a Subscription
Manage My Subscription
E-Paper
App Downloads
Newsletter

Shop

Weekly Ads
Newspaper Ads
Buy Our Photos

Delinquent Tax Real Estate List Store Locations

- Search

Contact Us
- Purchase Photos
- Submit a Letter to the Editor
- Submit a News Tip
- Place an Obituary
SUBSCRIBE
- Start a Subscription
- Manage My Subscription
- E-Paper
- App Downloads
- Newsletter
- Text Alerts
Login

E-Paper
News
Sports
Local Events
- See All Events
- Add Your Event
Obituaries
Public Notices
- Transcript Public Notices
- State Public Notices
Turnpike News

U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear ‘Innocent Man’ case Share this Click to sign up for our newsletter! Close

Karl Fontenot is seen in a police interview recording in the 1980s, left, and in a 2014 prison mugshot, right.

The Frontier

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Oklahoma prosecutors are deciding whether to again file charges in a nearly 40-year-old case against a man accused of helping kill an Ada woman after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected the state’s appeal.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied the state’s request to take up the case after lower federal courts’ ordered Oklahoma to vacate the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot, one of the men profiled the John Grisham book The Innocent Man.

This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAm%96 9:89 4@FCE :DDF65 ?@ 4@>>6?E 23@FE H9J :E 49@D6 E@ ?@E 962C E96 42D6]k^Am kAm%96 <:==:?8 @7 s@??2 s6?:D6 w2C2H2J 82:?65 ?2E:@?2= 2EE6?E:@? :? a__e 27E6C vC:D92> AF3=:D965 %96 x??@46?E |2?[ 2 ?@?7:4E:@? 3@@< E92E E@F4965 @? E96 42D6 :? 255:E:@? E@ 2 ?F>36C @7 @E96C 5F3:@FD >FC56C 4@?G:4E:@?D :? p52 :? E96 `hg_D] !F3=:4 :?E6C6DE :? E96 42D6 H2D C6:8?:E65 H96? E96 3@@< H2D 252AE65 :?E@ 2 a_`g }6E7=:I 5@4F>6?E2CJ E92E H6?E :?E@ 7FCE96C 56E2:=D 23@FE E96 42D6]k^AmkAmu@?E6?@E 92D 366? 7C66 @? 3@?5 5FC:?8 E96 2AA62=D AC@46DD]k^AmkAm%@ 5@?2E6 E@ %96 uC@?E:6C 2?5 96=A DFAA@CE @FC 677@CED E@ 8C@H :?G6DE:82E:G6 ;@FC?2=:D> :? ~<=29@>2[ 4=:4< 96C6]k^AmkAm~<=29@>2 H:== 92G6 `a_ 52JD 27E6C C646:G:?8 2 >2?52E6 7C@> E96 `_E9 r:C4F:E r@FCE @7 pAA62=D E@ 564:56 H96E96C E@ 368:? E96 AC@46DD @7 C6\ECJ:?8 E96 42D6[ D2:5 #2496= #@36CED[ DA@<6DH@>2? 7@C E96 ~<=29@>2 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2=’D ~77:46]k^AmkAm“~FC @77:46 :D 5:D2AA@:?E65 E92E E96 A6E:E:@? 7@C HC:E @7 46CE:@C2C: H2D 56?:65 3J E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D $FAC6>6 r@FCE[” #@36CED D2:5] “(6 H:== ?@H H2:E 7@C 2 >2?52E6 7C@> E96 %6?E9 r:C4F:E]”k^AmkAmu@?E6?@E’D 2EE@C?6J[ %:772?J |FCA9J[ D2:5 27E6C 2== @7 E96 4@FCE 564:D:@?D 72G@C:?8 u@?E6?@E[ G6CJ =:EE=6 :D =67E @7 E96 DE2E6’D 42D6[ 3FE E92E >:89E ?@E 36 6?@F89 E@ <66A AC@D64FE@CD 7C@> 7:=:?8 ?6H 492C86D 282:?DE u@?E6?@E :? w2C2H2J’D 562E9]k^AmkAm“%92E 5@6D?’E DE@A E96 sp 7C@> A@E6?E:2==J 492C8:?8 :7 E96J H2?E E@[” |FCA9J D2:5] “x ;FDE 5@?’E <?@H H92E E96J H@F=5 5@] x :>28:?6 x H:== 36 962C:?8 7C@> E96> @C x’== 92G6 E@ C6249 @FE E@ E96> AC@323=J D@>6E:>6 ?6IE H66<]”k^AmkAm|FCA9J D2:5 D96 925 ?@E DA@<6? E@ u@?E6?@E |@?52J >@C?:?8]k^AmkAm&=E:>2E6=J[ :E H:== 36 FA E@ !@?E@E@4 r@F?EJ s:DEC:4E pEE@C?6J !2F= $>:E9 H96E96C E96 DE2E6 H:== 3C:?8 E96 42D6 E@ EC:2= 282:?]k^Am kAm$>:E9 D2:5 96 H@F=5 >66E H:E9 286?ED 7C@> E96 ~<=29@>2 $E2E6 qFC62F @7 x?G6DE:82E:@? :? E96 ?6IE 76H H66<D[ 2?J ;F586D 2DD:8?65 E@ E96 42D6 2?5 E96 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2=’D ~77:46 E@ 56E6C>:?6 E96 ?6IE DE6AD]k^AmkAm“%96 564:D:@? 3J E96 =@H6C 4@FCED 2C6 ?@E H:E9@FE H:56DAC625 4C:E:4:D> 2?5 H:56DAC625 5632E6[” $>:E9 D2:5] “p?5 46CE2:?=J E96 DE2E6’D A@D:E:@? :D E92E E96J H6C6 :?4@CC64E=J 564:565[ H:E9 2== 5F6 C6DA64E E@ E96 ;F586D]”k^AmkAm$>:E9 D2:5 AC@D64FE@CD @7E6? 7246 2 5:77:4F=E E2D< H96? E96J E2<6 @=5 42D6D E92E C6=J 962G:=J @? H:E?6DD6D E@ EC:2=[ D:?46 >6>@C:6D E6?5 E@ 7256 @C 492?86 @G6C E:>6[ E9@F89 :E :D ?@E 2? :>A@DD:3=6 E2D<]k^AmkAm“%96C6’D 2 =@E @7 492==6?86D E@ C6DFCC64E 2 42D6 =:<6 E92E[” $>:E9 D2:5] “qFE x E9:?< H6’C6 FA 7@C E96 492==6?86] (6’== D66] (6’== D66 H96C6 :E 2== D92<6D @FE]”k^AmkAmx? a_a_[ u@?E6?@E’D 4@\5676?52?E :? E96 42D6[ %@>>J (2C5[ 2=D@ 925 9:D 4@?G:4E:@? @G6CEFC?65 :? DE2E6 4@FCE[ 3FE AC@D64FE@CD 92G6 2AA62=65 E92E 564:D:@? E@ E96 ~<=29@>2 $FAC6>6 r@FCE]k^AmkAmu@?E6?@E 2?5 (2C5 H6C6 4@?G:4E65 @7 >FC56C:?8 w2C2H2J 27E6C <:5?2AA:?8 96C 7C@> E96 p52 4@?G6?:6?46 DE@C6 H96C6 D96 H@C<65 :? `hgc] %96 5F@ H6C6 @C:8:?2==J D6?E6?465 E@ 562E9 :? `hgd[ E9@F89 w2C2H2J’D D<6=6E2= C6>2:?D H6C6 ?@E 5:D4@G6C65 :? CFC2= wF896D r@F?EJ F?E:= E96 7@==@H:?8 J62C]k^AmkAm$9@CE=J 27E6C w2C2H2J’D 5:D2AA62C2?46[ 2? ~<=29@>2 $E2E6 qFC62F @7 x?G6DE:82E:@? 286?E :?E6CG:6H65 (2C5[ H9@ D2:5 96[ u@?E6?@E[ 2?5 2?@E96C >2? C@3365 E96 DE@C6 w2C2H2J H@C<65 2E[ E96? DE23365 2?5 C2A65 96C 367@C6 3FC?:?8 96C 3@5J[ E9@F89 :?G6DE:82E@CD 5:5 ?@E 7:?5 2?J A9JD:42= 6G:56?46 =:?<:?8 E96 EH@ E@ E96 >FC56C]k^AmkAmu@?E6?@E H2D 2CC6DE65 E96 ?6IE 52J] q@E9 96 2?5 (2C5 4@?76DD65 E@ E96 <:==:?8 3FE BF:4<=J C642?E65 E96:C 4@?76DD:@?D 2?5 92G6 4=2:>65 7@C J62CD E92E E96J H6C6 4@6C465 3J :?G6DE:82E@CD :?E@ D2J:?8 E96J <:==65 w2C2H2J] u@?E6?@E’D 2EE@C?6JD 92G6 2C8F65 >2?J @7 E96 :?244FC2E6 56E2:=D @7 9:D 4@?76DD:@? H6C6 DFAA=:65 3J 56E64E:G6D 7C@> E96 p52 !@=:46 s6A2CE>6?E 2?5 E96 ~<=29@>2 $E2E6 qFC62F @7 x?G6DE:82E:@?D]k^AmkAm(96? w2C2H2J’D C6>2:?D H6C6 5:D4@G6C65 :? `hge[ E96 7@C6?D:4 6G:56?46 2E E96 D46?6 5:5 ?@E >2E49 FA H:E9 (2C5 2?5 u@?E6?@E’D 4@?76DD:@?D] w2C2H2J 925 366? D9@E C2E96C E92? DE23365[ H2D a_ >:=6D 2H2J 7C@> H96C6 E96 >6? D2:5 96C 3@5J H2D 5F>A65[ 2?5 H2D H62C:?8 5:776C6?E 4=@E96D E92? E9@D6 (2C5 2?5 u@?E6?@E 56D4C:365]k^AmkAmx? 62C=J a_`h[ (2C5’D 2EE@C?6JD F?4@G6C65 2 EC@G6 @7 AC6G:@FD=J\F?C6=62D65 42D6 5@4F>6?ED 2E E96 p52 !@=:46 s6A2CE>6?E] $6G6C2= @7 E96 5@4F>6?ED 92G6 366? FD65 :? 4@FCE E@ C2:D6 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE A@E6?E:2= >:D4@?5F4E 3J :?G6DE:82E@CD[ E96 4@?76DD:@?D[ E96 72:C?6DD @7 E96 EH@ >6?’D EC:2=D 2?5 E96:C 8F:=E :? w2C2H2J’D >FC56C]k^AmkAmp7E6C 2EE@C?6JD AC6D6?E65 E96 ?6H=J 5:D4@G6C65 C64@C5D[ 2 7656C2= ;F586 :? |FD<@866 CF=65 E92E u@?E6?@E 925 =68:E:>2E6 4=2:>D @7 :??@46?46 2?5 E92E :?G6DE:82E@CD <?6H 2 4@?76DD:@? 96 >256 3FE =2E6C C642?E65 H2D @7 5F3:@FD G2=:5:EJ[ 2?5 DECF4< 5@H? u@?E6?@E’D 4@?G:4E:@?] $9@CE=J 27E6CH2C5[ 2 DE2E6 ;F586 :DDF65 2 D:>:=2C CF=:?8 :? (2C5’D 42D6] qFE F?=:<6 u@?E6?@E[ (2C5 C6>2:?D :? AC:D@? A6?5:?8 2 564:D:@? @? E96 42D6 3J E96 ~<=29@>2 r@FCE @7 rC:>:?2= pAA62=D]k^AmkAmx? ~<=29@>2’D =2DE 7:=:?8 H:E9 E96 &]$] $FAC6>6 r@FCE @? |2J ``[ E96 DE2E6 >2:?E2:?65 E92E u@?E6?@E :D 8F:=EJ 3FE 4=2:>65 E96 BF6DE:@? @7 9:D :??@46?46 H2D :CC6=6G2?E] %96 DE2E6 7@4FD65 @? E96 :DDF6 @7 H96E96C E96 9:89 4@FCE D9@F=5 :DDF6 4=62C6C 5:C64E:@? E@ E96 =@H6C 4@FCED @? 9@H E@ 56E6C>:?6 H92E ?6H 6G:56?46 E96C6 :D @7 u@?E6?@E’D 24EF2= :??@46?46]k^Am

The Frontier is a nonprofit, independent news source based in Tulsa. Frontier content is republished in The Transcript through a special content agreement. For more information on The Frontier, visit readfrontier.org.