Wrongly Incarcerated Archie Williams Stuns America's Got Talent Judges

Source: Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images / Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

In March of last year we reported an innocent man by the name of Archie Williams was freed after spending 36 years in prison for a rape he didn’t commit. Williams was released after new fingerprint technology integrated with a national database showed the prints matched a known serial rapist named Stephen Forbes who had died in prison in 1996. Williams always maintained he was home during the crime but a 12-member jury still found him guilty at the age of 22 and he was sentenced to life without parole. In 1999 Williams requested his fingerprints be run in the database in 1999 but he was denied by prosecutors.

When it was revealed he wasn’t the person who committed the crimes the East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore III spoke at his trial stating:

“This is the right, honest, ethical and now factual thing to do. You are factually innocent, wrongfully convicted, and on behalf of the state, we apologize that you have suffered this.”

While nothing will ever undo the 36 years he lost of his life Louisiana law stated he was entitled to a maximum of $250,000 for his wrongful incarceration, roughly $7,000 for each year he was in prison. While Williams has been enjoying his newfound freedom recently he set his sights on appearing on “America’s Got Talent‘ and his performance was one for the history books. Archie sang an emotional rendition of “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” and you can watch below to find out why this is an audition Simon Cowell says he will never forget.