Archie Williams waited expectantly for God for almost four decades.

In 1983, at age 22, Williams was sentenced to prison with no chance for parole. Charged with aggravated rape, battery and murder, he was sent to what is considered the “Alcatraz of the South,” the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Though Archie’s family testified he was home asleep the night of the crime and fingerprints did not match his, he was declared guilty.

While Archie waited behind cold walls, he says he never “let his mind go to prison.”

Twelve years in, Archie heard about the Innocence Project, an organization dedicated to finding justice for those wrongly charged. He filed to have his case examined.

Finally, in 2019, a man who had confessed to several other charges was linked to the crime. Seven days later, God gave Archie justice. At 59 years of age, he went home.

In the summer of 2020, millions heard Archie’s story. As a contestant on America’s Got Talent, he was able to share his story along with his passionate voice. Singing his faith, he said, encouraged him through his darkest days.

“My faith has always been with God, all my life,” he adds. “I have faith that God will guide me through whatever storm. I just trust.”