Spared execution eight times, oldest inmate in US dies at 101

Francis Clifford Smith was given his last meal eight times.

But after being spared execution each time, he went on to be regarded as the longest serving prisoner in the US before dying in June at 101 years old.

Convicted of murder in 1950 when he was 25, he always maintained his innocence, those who knew him told the BBC.

Andrius Banevicius, the public information officer for Connecticut's Department of Correction, recounted how Smith used to feed the birds while in Osborn prison, earning him the nickname The Birdman of Osborn.

"He would stuff as much bread as he could … in his clothing," Banevicius said, adding: "Everyone kind of turned a blind eye to it because they knew he was just feeding the birds."

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Smith was a young petty criminal when he was accused in 1949 of the murder of Grover Hart, a night watchman at a Connecticut yacht club. He was one of two men who were arrested over the killing but the other took a plea deal and gave evidence against Smith, who was later found guilty of first-degree murder.

His guilt and the evidence on which he was convicted have been questioned over the years - namely after witnesses recanted their statements and another inmate later confessed to the murder.

One of the officers who had interrogated Smith after his arrest later testified that he believed Smith was innocent.

"I'm not even sure he was present at the murder," Major Leo Carroll announced to the Board of Pardons, according to the Boston Globe.

Smith served more than 70 years behind bars - other than three short stints of freedom.

He escaped from prison in 1967 but was recaptured 12 days later. In 1974, we went home for Christmas Eve and returned the next day, Banevicius said.

Then, in 1975, he was granted parole and was out for about 10 months - but he was soon arrested for petty larceny and possession of a weapon, which was a violation of his parole, according to the Boston Globe.

Richard Sparaco, former executive director of what is now called the Board of Pardons and Paroles, told the Hartford Courant that Smith rejected several attempts afterwards to go back on parole until 2020, when he was granted supervised parole and moved to a care home for elderly people within the justice system.

Dr Stephanie Prost, a researcher in older adults and prison settings at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, told the BBC that most prisons have an inmate like Smith.

"We're not the only jurisdiction that's facing that ageing-related crisis, because similar issues are percolating in Australia and England," she said.

"It's an international issue in terms of the population. Although, of course, we have a larger number of individuals in the US."

According to a 2025 study, the number of people aged 55 and older in prison increased by nearly 400% between 1991 and 2021.

The US Census Bureau forecasts that by 2030, at least one-third of the incarcerated population will be over 50 years old.

Researchers like Prost are pushing for better solutions and what they call "smart de-carceration", similar to Smith's case. That could include policies such as compassionate release and elderly or medical parole.

Such programmes take age and care into consideration as elderly inmates deal with higher rates of costly medical concerns that make it difficult to function in a highly regimented prison setting, including fall risks, incontinence and hearing impairments.

But there are few facilities like the one Smith was sent to that are willing to take on convicted prisoners, experts said.

Smith was one of the first to be cared for under the MissionCare Health scheme, which focuses specifically on providing care to incarcerated individuals. It currently has three facilities in the north-eastern US.

David Skoczulek, spokesman for 60 West - the facility where Smith lived in his final years - told the BBC that Smith passed away in his sleep there in June and was later cremated.

"Essentially, he died of old age," he said. "He had very limited family involvement around his passing but we assured it was appropriate, met his wishes and was dignified."

Skoczulek said that the facility's role was to provide Smith with the skilled nursing and long-term care services he required.

Research shows that imprisonment can lead to "accelerated ageing", and that conditions such as dementia may arrive "significantly earlier" than they would for people not in prison.

"We frequently say that a person coming from a long period of incarceration can be 60 but have the health status of a 90-year-old," Skoczulek said.

Smith reportedly had dementia at the end of his life. Banevicius would not confirm this to the BBC but said Smith was dealing with issues associated with old age.

"He was 101 and a half," Banevicius said. "He did pretty well as far as longevity is concerned."

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