U.S prisoner who survived eight execution dates dies at 101
Francis Clifford Smith, a US prisoner who survived eight execution dates and spent more than 70 years behind bars, has died at the age of 101, according to the BBC on Wednesday.
Smith was convicted of first-degree murder in Connecticut in 1950, when he was 25, but maintained his innocence throughout his imprisonment.
He was accused of killing Grover Hart, a night watchman at a Connecticut yacht club, in 1949. Smith was one of two men arrested over the killing, but the other man accepted a plea deal and testified against him.
Smith was subsequently convicted and sentenced to death.
However, doubts about his conviction emerged over the years. Witnesses later recanted their statements, while another inmate confessed to the murder.
One of the officers who interrogated Smith after his arrest also later told the Board of Pardons that he believed Smith was innocent.
“I’m not even sure he was present at the murder,” Major Leo Carroll said, according to the Boston Globe.
Smith was scheduled for execution eight times and was given a last meal on each occasion before his execution was ultimately spared.
He spent more than seven decades in prison, apart from three brief periods of freedom.
In 1967, Smith escaped from prison but was recaptured 12 days later. In 1974, he was allowed to leave prison for Christmas Eve and returned the following day.
He was granted parole in 1975 but was arrested about 10 months later for petty larceny and possession of a weapon, in violation of his parole.
Richard Sparaco, a former executive director of Connecticut’s Board of Pardons and Paroles, said Smith later rejected several attempts to return him to parole.
In 2020, however, Smith was granted supervised parole and moved to a care facility for elderly people.
Andrius Banevicius, public information officer for Connecticut’s Department of Correction, said Smith became known as “The Birdman of Osborn” because he regularly fed birds while in prison.
“He would stuff as much bread as he could … in his clothing,” Banevicius said.
“Everyone kind of turned a blind eye to it because they knew he was just feeding the birds.”
Smith eventually moved to 60 West, a nursing facility providing care to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people.
David Skoczulek, a spokesman for the facility, said Smith died in his sleep in June and was later cremated.
“Essentially, he died of old age,” Skoczulek said. “He had very limited family involvement around his passing, but we assured it was appropriate, met his wishes and was dignified.”
Researchers say Smith’s case also highlights the growing challenge of caring for an ageing prison population in the US.
Dr Stephanie Prost, a researcher specialising in older adults and prison settings at the University of Louisville, said many prison systems face similar challenges.
“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.”
A 2025 study found that the number of people aged 55 and older in US prisons increased by nearly 400% between 1991 and 2021.
Researchers have called for measures such as compassionate release and elderly or medical parole to help address the needs of ageing prisoners.
Research has also found that imprisonment can contribute to “accelerated ageing”, with some health conditions developing earlier among people who have spent long periods in prison.
Skoczulek said long-term incarceration can have a significant effect on a person’s health.
“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,” he said.
Smith reportedly experienced dementia towards the end of his life, although Banevicius did not confirm the condition.
“He was 101 and a half,” Banevicius said. “He did pretty well as far as longevity is concerned.”
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