The death row inmate was saved 8 times at the last minute – and lived to 101

Francis Clifford Smith, sentenced to death in 1950 for the murder of a night watchman, was spared from execution eight times at the last minute until his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. He served about 70 years in prison, the longest period in U.S. history, and died at age 101 in a nursing home as a parolee.

Francis Clifford Smith, sentenced to death for the murder of a night watchman at a yacht club in Greenwich, Connecticut, was spared from the electric chair eight times until his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment just two hours before the final scheduled date. He served about 70 years in prison, the longest period for any inmate in U.S. history, and died at age 101 in a nursing home as a parolee. Smith was convicted in 1950 at age 25, based on the testimony of an accomplice who signed a plea deal, but he never confessed to the murder and maintained his innocence. During his incarceration, he tended to isolate himself and feed birds through his cell window. He refused to apply for parole until age 95, when he was persuaded to do so and was transferred to a nursing home. The article quotes official sources and spokespersons, and notes that his body was cremated and no funeral was held.