Francis Clifford Smith, who was convicted of murder in 1950 when he was just 25 years old, has died at the age of 101 after spending more than seven decades in American prisons.
Smith faced execution eight times, and in each case he was given his last meal, but the death sentence was postponed. He always denied involvement in the murders, and over the years serious doubts were raised about his guilt and the evidence that led to his conviction.
Smith was arrested in 1949 on suspicion of murdering Grover Hart, a night watchman at a Connecticut yacht club. He was one of two people arrested in the case, with the other man taking a plea deal and testifying against Smith.
However, over the years, various witnesses have recanted their statements, while another inmate later confessed to the murder. One of the officers who questioned Smith after his arrest also stated that he believed he was innocent.
“I’m not even sure he was present at the scene of the murder,” Major Leo Carroll had stated before the Pardons Board.
Suspicions about the case led to Smith’s scheduled executions being postponed several times. In 1954, his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
During his long years in prison, Smith also became known for his bird-watching skills. Andrius Banevicius, a public information officer for the Connecticut Department of Corrections, said that Smith fed birds at Osborn Prison, earning him the nickname “Birdman of Osborn.”
“He would stuff as much bread as he could into his clothes,” Banevicius recounted, adding that the guards often turned a blind eye, as they knew Smith was doing this to feed the birds.
Smith spent more than 70 years behind bars, with only a few brief stints outside. In 1967, he escaped from prison, but was captured 12 days later.
In 1974, he was allowed to go home for Christmas Eve and returned the next day. A year later, he was granted parole and stayed out of prison for about 10 months before being arrested for petty theft and possession of a weapon, in violation of the terms of his release.
Smith later refused several attempts to have him reinstated into the parole system. In 2020, he was placed under supervision and transferred to an aged care facility within the justice system.
In the final years of his life, Smith lived in a facility that specializes in caring for elderly people who have spent long periods in prison. David Skoczulek, a spokesman for the 60 West facility, where Smith spent his final years, said he died in his sleep in June and was later cremated.
“Essentially, he died of old age,” Skoczulek said, adding that Smith had very little family involvement in his final moments, but the institution made sure his wishes were respected and that everything was done with dignity.
Smith’s case has become a case in point in the debate over the aging prison population in the United States. Stephanie Prost, a researcher on aging and the prison system at the University of Louisville, said most prisons face similar situations.
According to her, the aging of prisoners is an international problem, which is also appearing in countries like Australia and England, while in the US the proportions are even greater.
A 2025 study showed that the number of people aged 55 and over in American prisons increased by nearly 400 percent between 1991 and 2021.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Census Bureau predicts that by 2030, at least one-third of the incarcerated population will be over the age of 50.
Researchers are looking for new solutions to this situation, including release for humanitarian reasons and release for the elderly or people with special medical needs.
According to experts, long-term imprisonment can accelerate the aging process. Some health problems, including dementia, can appear much earlier in people who have spent a large part of their lives in prison.
“We often say that a person coming out of a long period of imprisonment may be 60 years old but have the health condition of a 90-year-old,” Skoczulek said.
Smith is also suspected of suffering from dementia towards the end of his life, although Banevicius would not confirm this to the BBC. He said only that Smith was facing age-related problems.
“He was 101 and a half years old. In terms of longevity, he did quite well,” Banevicius said. /Telegraph/