CONNECTICUT — Francis Clifford Smith died in June at the age of 101. He died in his sleep at the 60 West facility and was later cremated.

Smith served more than 70 years in prison, excluding three short periods of freedom. His time incarcerated set a record that overtook Paul Geidel Jr. who had been the third longest-serving prison inmate in the United States whose sentence ended with parole. Smith served 70 years and 31 days in prison.

"He was 101 and a half," Andrius Banevicius said. Banevicius is the Public Information Officer for the Connecticut Department of Correction.

Smith maintained his innocence throughout his imprisonment. Witnesses recanted their statements regarding his guilt over the years. Another inmate confessed to the murder for which Smith was convicted.

Major Leo Carroll testified to the Board of Pardons that he believed Smith was innocent. I'm not even sure he was present at the murder, Carroll said.

Smith received eight reprieves from scheduled executions. His death sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1954. During his incarceration, Smith earned the nickname 'The Birdman of Osborn' for feeding birds while incarcerated at Osborn prison. "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."

Smith escaped from prison in 1967 and was recaptured 12 days later. He was granted temporary leave for Christmas Eve in 1974 and returned the following day. Smith was granted parole in 1975 and remained out for approximately 10 months.

He was arrested for petty larceny and possession of a weapon, violating his parole. Smith rejected several attempts to regain parole after his 1975 violation until 2020.

Smith was granted supervised parole in 2020 and moved to a care home for elderly people within the justice system. He was cared for under the MissionCare Health scheme, which provides care to incarcerated individuals. MissionCare Health operates three facilities in the northeastern U.S. Smith reportedly had dementia at the end of his life.

"Essentially, he died of old age," David Skoczulek said. Skoczulek is a spokesman for 60 West. "He had very limited family involvement around his passing but we assured it was appropriate, met his wishes and was dignified." Skoczulek added that long-term incarceration accelerates health decline. "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.

Timeline

In 1949, Francis Clifford Smith was accused of murdering Grover Hart, a night watchman at a Connecticut yacht club. In 1950, Smith was convicted of first-degree murder at the age of 25. In 1954, Smith's death sentence was commuted to life in prison. In 1967, Smith escaped from prison and was recaptured 12 days later.

What's New

The story directly affects Francis Clifford Smith, who died at age 101 while under supervised parole in Connecticut. Francis Clifford Smith served 70 years and 31 days in prison, a record that overtook Paul Geidel Jr. who had been the third longest-serving prison inmate in the United States whose sentence ended with parole.

How Sources Differ

Descriptions of Smith's parole status vary. One account states the story affects Smith, who died while under supervised parole in Connecticut, while another notes he was granted parole in 1975 and remained out for approximately 10 months. Another source clarifies that Smith was granted supervised parole in 2020 and moved to a care home for elderly people within the justice system, contrasting with the general statement about his supervised parole status at death.

Details regarding Smith's death also show variation. One source states Smith died at age 101 while under supervised parole in Connecticut, while another specifies he died in his sleep in June at the 60 West facility and was later cremated. The sentencing history also presents different details, with one source noting his death sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1954, while others focus on the total duration of his incarceration relative to other long-serving inmates.

Why It Matters

The number of people aged 55 and older in prison increased by nearly 400% between 1991 and 2021, according to a 2025 study. The U.S. Census Bureau forecasts that by 2030, at least one-third of the incarcerated population will be over 50 years old.

"We're not the only jurisdiction that's facing that ageing-related crisis, because similar issues are percolating in Australia and England," Dr Stephanie Prost said. "It's an international issue in terms of the population. Although, of course, we have a larger number of individuals in the US."