US Longest-Serving Death Row Inmate Dies of Natural Causes at 101 After Final Meal Postponed Eight Times

It has been belatedly reported that the longest-serving inmate in the United States, who spent 76 years in prison as his execution was postponed eight times, has died of natural causes at the age of 101.

According to the BBC, officials at 60 West, a nursing facility in Connecticut, stated that Francis Clifford Smith, who was staying at the facility, passed away at the age of 101 in June.

Smith was known as the longest-serving inmate in the United States.

Having entered prison at the age of 25, he lived out the remainder of his life with the status of a prisoner until surpassing 100 years of age.

He was arrested in 1949 on charges of murdering a security guard, convicted in 1950, and spent 76 years cycling between imprisonment, parole, and re-imprisonment.

This was because the evidence and testimonies regarding his involvement in the murder were recanted multiple times.

One of the police officers who arrested Smith later stated that he believed Smith was innocent, and the pardoning board even expressed opinions such as, "It is not even certain whether he was at the murder scene."

Amidst these developments, his execution was postponed eight times, and he reportedly had to receive his so-called "final meal" on eight separate occasions, according to the BBC.

Smith consistently maintained his innocence.

However, he did have a record of petty crimes in his youth, and during a 10-month parole period granted in 1975, he was re-arrested for minor theft and weapon possession.

Smith was reportedly known for living a generally quiet prison life.

An official from the Connecticut Department of Correction told the BBC that Smith's nickname was "Birdman."

This was because he was frequently seen sharing bread with birds inside the prison.

The official said, "He would stuff as much bread as he could inside his clothes. We knew he was just feeding the birds, so we kind of looked the other way."

As time passed, Smith was transferred to a nursing facility in 2020 under supervised parole, where he spent his remaining days before passing away.

Dr. Stephanie Frost, who has studied the status of elderly inmates in the U.S., said, "The U.S. is not the only place facing a crisis related to aging populations," adding, "It is an international issue, including Australia and the UK."

An official at the 60 West nursing facility said, "Smith passed away from natural causes at the age of 101 and a half. In a way, you could say he lived a long life," and added, "There was almost no involvement from his family at the time of his passing. We held a funeral for him while maintaining his dignity."
 
(Photo: Excerpted from BBC, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.