101-year-old American Francis Smith, who served record US prison term, dies

101-year-old American Francis Smith, who served the longest prison term in US history, has died. He spent over 70 years behind bars.

Smith was convicted of murdering a yacht club night watchman in 1950, when he was 25. He maintained his innocence but was sentenced to death. While awaiting execution, he was served a final meal eight times, but each execution was stayed at the last moment.

In 1954, just two hours before being sent to the electric chair, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. By then, serious doubts about his guilt had emerged: evidence was circumstantial, key witnesses recanted, and another inmate confessed to the murder. However, the case was never reopened.

In 1967, Smith escaped but was caught 12 days later. He was released on parole in 1975 but was re-arrested 10 months later for petty theft and weapons possession, returning him to prison. Only in 2020 was he granted supervised release and moved to a nursing home, where he died on June 25.