Results: 37 Years In Prison For A Crime He Did Not Commit

A man who spent nearly 37 years in jail after being falsely convicted of rape is now a front-runner to win America's Got Talent. Archie Williams, who was exonerated and freed last year, told judges he used to visualize himself on the show while watching it in prison. His rendition of Elton John's "Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me" was so powerful, raw and emotional that even Elton himself tweeted " I was moved to tears when I heard Archie's story and saw him perform "Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me". The courage and forgiveness shown by him is truly inspiring. The same spirit that the world found so inspiring with Nelson Mandela." He left the judges in tears, overwhelmed by both is story and his voice. Did you happen to see his performance on AGT?

He was accused of raping and stabbing a 30-year-old white woman at her home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1982, even though his fingerprints were not found at the scene. Three people also testified that Williams was at home at the time of the crime, however the following year he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Williams has always maintained his innocence. Speaking on America's Got Talent, he said: "I knew I was innocent, I didn't commit a crime. But being a poor black kid, I didn't have the ability to fight the state of Louisiana." Do you think that the legal system often fails those who are poor, especially visible minorities?

After spending more than 10 years in maximum security Louisiana State Penitentiary, the Innocence Project took up his case. The non-profit legal organization works to overturn wrongful convictions through the use of DNA testing. After campaigning for 24 years, a new analysis of fingerprints at the scene identified a serial rapist as the man responsible for the crime - proving Williams's innocence. Just seven days later, all charges against Williams were dismissed and his convictions were quashed, and he was released from jail in March 2019. Do you feel that cases like this are all too common?

Williams says it was during his time in prison that he turned to singing to escape his "nightmare". Lyrics to the song he sang, although not his story, almost seem to be written for him. He sang, "I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free, 'cause losing everything is like the sun going down on me", taking on particular poignancy in his rendition. In this case, music actually was responsible for saving his life, as music has long been a refuge for many feeling unbearable pain, sadness or alienation. Do you personally know anyone who can say music did "save their life"?