Centenarian inmate, spared execution eight times, dies at 101 after decades behind bars
Francis Clifford Smith, the United States' longest-serving prisoner, died at age 101 after repeatedly avoiding execution and spending more than 70 years in custody.
Convicted at 25 for the 1949 killing of night watchman Grover Hart, Francis Clifford Smith spent over seven decades incarcerated, becoming the nation’s longest-serving prisoner before passing away at 101. Although he repeatedly avoided execution, doubts about his guilt emerged as witnesses withdrew statements and a fellow inmate later claimed responsibility. Smith’s prison record includes a 12-day escape in 1967, a short parole stint in the 1970s, and a final supervised parole in 2020 that placed him in a MissionCare Health facility.
Officials described his habit of feeding birds in Osborn prison, earning him the nickname “The Birdman of Osborn.” His death, attributed to old age and dementia, highlights the broader issue of an aging prison population, which has surged nearly 400 % among inmates 55 and older since 1991.
Why it matters
The case underscores the rising burden of elderly inmates on the correctional system and questions about wrongful convictions.
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