The Last Man Who Was Almost Executed: 101-Year-Old Prisoner Francis Smith

Sun Sep 06 2026 05:13:37 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Meet Francis Smith, the oldest U.S. prisoner who was spared 8 times and lived to 101, exposing the crisis of aging inmates.

Francis Smith was sentenced to death in 1950 but his execution was stayed eight times. He spent 70+ years in prison and later lived out his days in a nursing facility under supervised parole. Smith’s story highlights how prisons face a growing, aging population that requires compassionate care. Researchers now call for smarter de‑carceration policies to address these challenges.

Francis Smith: The 101‑Year‑Old Man Who Was Nearly Executed Eight Times

When the news first broke, people thought it was a weird anecdote about a man who “advanced 8 times” before finally being released. In 1950, 25‑year‑old Francis Smith was convicted of first‑degree murder and faced the death row.

Over the decades, a jury of executive power repeatedly stayed his execution—eight times in total—after new evidence emerged and witnesses recanted. Because of those stays, Smith survived with the record of the longest‑serving prisoner in U.S. history.

During his time in Osborn Prison, Smith earned the nickname The Birdman of Osborn for feeding pigeons with bread hidden in his clothes. It was a harmless hobby that let him keep his mind engaged amid harsh conditions.

He even escaped once in 1967, returned after 12 days, and was granted parole in 1975 for a brief holiday—but was rearrested when he broke parole by committing petty theft and weapon possession.

By 2020, Smith finally entered a supervised parole program aimed at giving older inmates care in specialty nursing homes. He lived there in a facility that focuses on health needs of incarcerated seniors and passed away peacefully in June 2026 at 101 years old.

Smith’s story shows a larger trend: the U.S. prison population is aging at an alarming rate. Between 1991 and 2021, people 55+ in prisons rose nearly 400%, and experts predict a third of inmates will be over 50 by 2030.

Researchers call for “smart de‑carceration”‑like programs that combine compassionate release with medical parole to reduce the burden of backup medical care on prisons and help these elderly inmates retire in dignity.

For now, Smith’s legacy sits at a strange intersection of justice, age, and care—an example of how a convicted life can outlast the life expectancy of most prisoners.