Grant Williams, a former studio worker for Wu-Tang Clan, will be awarded $7 million from New York City. Williams served a 23-year prison sentence beginning in 1996 for the murder of Shdell Lewis — a murder he did not commit.
After being granted parole in 2019, Williams was cleared two years after. He then filed a notice of claim to sue the city and overturn the wrongful conviction. According to Associated Press, the comptroller’s office settled Willams’ claim, using their authority to do so without court action, and will pay Williams $7 million.
“This will assist him in going forward and trying to get back on his feet,” said Williams’ layer Irving Cohen.
When Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah learned about Williams’ exoneration last year, he told Staten Island Advance that the news felt “like a ton of bricks being lifted.”
“I missed him,” Ghostface said. “When he left, part of me left.”
Ghostface was by Williams’ side when he shared the news that he will be receiving $7 million from New York City, according to Associated Press. Cohen also noted that while Williams was incarcerated, he received an associate’s degree and plans to help other wrongfully convicted people in the future.
Wu-Tang Clan is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.