The oldest and longest-serving prisoner in the United States, Francis Clifford Smith, was incarcerated at the age of 25 for a murder case in Connecticut, but he always maintained his innocence. Despite facing execution 8 times, he narrowly escaped death each time, ultimately living to be 101 years old before passing away in his sleep at a highly guarded nursing home.
On July 23, 1949, a robbery attempt occurred at a yacht club in Connecticut, where 68-year-old night watchman Grover Hart was shot dead. Police found a grey Cadillac outside a coffee shop in New York, containing the Colt handgun used in the crime, stolen jewelry from the yacht club, as well as shirts belonging to Smith or his family. Witness accounts also placed Smith near the coffee shop, driving the car.
Five days after the murder, Smith was discovered hiding in a forest near a reservoir. He gave a false name to the police, denied being Smith, and was found carrying a bottle of hair dye. He was arrested as a suspect at the age of 25 and subsequently sentenced to death.
Another suspect, George Lowden, was later arrested in connection with the case. Lowden initially cooperated with authorities, implicating Smith, but later recanted his statement, alleging police coercion and refusing to testify against Smith in court. Lowden eventually confessed to killing Hart and was convicted of second-degree murder.
During his 76 years in prison, Smith faced execution 8 times, each time being granted a reprieve. Prior to the 8th scheduled execution, the police sergeant Leo Carroll, who oversaw Smith’s interrogation, testified to the clemency board, stating, “I am not even sure if he was present at the crime scene.”
Subsequently, a key witness recanted their testimony against Smith. Lowden also reversed his previous incriminating statements. Additionally, someone serving time in Alabama claimed to be the real killer of Hart. These developments cast doubt on the evidence in the case, leading to calls for a halt to the execution and a retrial for Smith.
Until his death, Smith steadfastly maintained his innocence. In an interview with The Boston Globe in 2023, he asserted, “There is no evidence to prove my guilt, yet I have been locked up here.”
Nevertheless, Smith never received a retrial. After a review of the confession from the Alabama prisoner claiming to be the perpetrator, a judge deemed the testimony lacking credibility and upheld Smith’s murder conviction.
Smith’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 1954. He spent 76 years behind bars, with only 3 brief periods of freedom; one instance was in 1967 when he escaped and was recaptured by authorities after 12 days on the run.
In 1975, Smith was granted parole, but around 10 months later, he was arrested again on charges of theft and weapons-related offenses, and for violating parole conditions, he was sent back to prison.
In 2020, he agreed to supervised parole and moved to a nursing facility. Smith passed away in his sleep at the end of June this year, just a few months shy of his 102nd birthday. There was no funeral, and his body was cremated directly.
David Skoczulek, spokesman for the nursing home facility 60 West, said, “Smith essentially passed away due to old age. He had little to no family by his side at the end, but the facility has respectfully arranged his affairs according to his wishes, allowing him to depart with dignity.”
This article references reports from Fox News and Time magazine.