Simon Cowell Halts Silence On Wrongfully Jailed 'AGT' Performer—'What Happened To Archie Is Tragic'

Jun 02, 2020 by apost team

After performing on America's Got Talent in May, Archie Williams, a man wrongfully jailed for nearly 37 years for a crime he didn't commit, was given a standing ovation and support from the judges. Now, Simon Cowell has spoken out about Archie's experience.

In the video of the performance from last month, Archie Williams is seen taking to the stage. After Simon asks him to tell the audience and judges about himself, Archie pauses for a moment before saying: "I was just incarcerated for 37 years for somebody else's crime. DNA freed me."

The judges and audience are clearly shocked at what they're hearing, but upon Archie's declaration of how DNA freed him, everybody erupts in cheers and support. In a background to his story, Archie explains that on the morning of December 9th, 1982, a 30-year-old white woman was raped and stabbed in her home. Archie was then arrested on January 4th, and although he maintained his innocence, he was a poor black kid who couldn't afford to legally fight the state of Louisiana. 

Despite none of the fingerprints from the crime scene matching Archie's, or the fact that he had three witnesses testifying to his whereabouts on the night of the incident, the prosecutors clearly wanted someone to pay for the crime. Devastatingly, Archie was sentenced to life with 80 years without the possibility of parole or probation. 

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Archie described how days turned into weeks into months into years into decades while he was incarcerated at America's so-called bloodiest prison, Angola State Penitentiary. In speaking with AGT host Terry Crews, Archie said what got him through was knowing that, "freedom is of the mind. I went to prison but I never let my mind go to prison."

When facing tough times he would pray and sing, saying it gave him peace. The nonprofit organization Innocence Project heard about his case and got him back on trial. With the help of updated technology, the fingerprints were matched to a serial rapist and Archie finally found freedom again on March 21st, 2019. 

Having watched the show in prison, Archie was finally able to live his dream and perform on America's Got Talent. He sang Elton John's hit Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me and wowed the crowd even more.

Finally speaking about Archie's situation outside of the show, Simon Cowell posted to Instagram explaining his thoughts on the matter. In one post he wrote: "This is Archie Williams. I will never forget this audition for the rest of my life. And I'll never listen to this song in the same way ever again."

Cowell, who is also an executive producer on AGT, has become an ambassador for Innocence Project and spoke about their work in another Instagram post. He wrote: "What happened to Archie is tragic. While his voice is extraordinary, unfortunately his experience of being sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit is more common that people realize. I'm honored to become an Ambassador for the @innocenceproject and want to do what I can to help more people like Archie."

In the same post he praised Innocence Project's work and explained: "These guys don't just talk; they actually do something about it. The Innocence Project doesn't just change people's lives, they save people's lives." It's amazing to witness Archie's journey and to see that he not only has the support of the show, but that Simon Cowell is committed to supporting the great cause that freed him and aim to help others who are in the same position that Archie was.

What did you think of Archie's heartbreaking story? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this on to your family and friends.