Vincent Simmons

Who is Vincent Simmons?

Vincent Simmons is a prisoner at Angola State Prison in Louisiana. He was a subject of the 1997 HBO documentary "The Farm: Life In Angola Prison," as well as the follow-up documentary "Shadows of Doubt." He has remained in Angola for the last 34 years where he is serving a 100-year sentence for the attempted aggravated rapes of then 14-year old twins Karen and Sharon Sanders. Alleged evidence of Simmons' innocence as well as the seemingly prejudicial nature of his trial has earned Simmons a great deal of support over the last 14 years. Although Simmons has continuously maintained his innocence and filed numerous Habeas Corpus writs, no Louisiana judge has yet offered him an evidentiary hearing. On May 22, 1977, Karen and Sharon Sanders reported that they were raped two weeks prior. In statements to police, the twins claimed that they, along with their cousin Keith Laborde encountered a black man at the 7-11 filling station. They gave the man a ride and then claim that the same man produced a knife and ordered everyone into the trunk of the car. He then allegedly raped the twins one at a time and repeatedly before setting them free. The twins claimed that their attacker threatened to have his buddies come after them if they breathed a word.