CONNECTICUT, US – Francis Clifford Smith, a Connecticut prisoner who was sentenced to death eight times and spent more than seven decades behind bars, has died at the age of 101.
Smith was convicted of the 1950 murder of Grover Hart, a night watchman at a yacht club, when he was 25. He maintained his innocence throughout his imprisonment.
Okay News reports that Smith’s conviction was later questioned after witnesses recanted their statements and another prisoner confessed to the killing.
One police officer who had interrogated Smith also told the state’s Board of Pardons that he was unsure Smith had been present at the murder.
Smith spent more than 70 years in prison, apart from three brief periods outside custody. He escaped in 1967 but was recaptured 12 days later, while he was also allowed to leave prison briefly in 1974.
He was granted parole in 1975 but returned to custody after being arrested for petty larceny and illegal possession of a weapon, which violated the terms of his parole.
Smith later rejected several opportunities to return to parole until 2020, when he was granted supervised parole and transferred to a care facility for elderly people within the justice system.
During his long imprisonment at Osborn Correctional Institution, Smith became known as the “Birdman of Osborn” because he regularly fed birds. Prison officials said he would hide bread in his clothing to feed them.
Smith’s case has also highlighted the growing challenge of an ageing prison population in the United States. A 2025 study found that the number of prisoners aged 55 and above increased by nearly 400% between 1991 and 2021.
Researchers have called for alternatives such as compassionate release and elderly or medical parole to address the needs of ageing prisoners, who often face significant health and mobility problems.
Smith spent his final years at a nursing facility providing care for formerly incarcerated people. He died in his sleep in June and was later cremated.
David Skoczulek, a spokesman for the facility, said Smith died of old age after receiving skilled nursing and long-term care.
Andrius Banevicius, a public information officer for Connecticut’s Department of Correction, said Smith had reached the age of 101 and a half and had done “pretty well” in terms of longevity.
