Francis Clifford Smith's 1967 Successful Prison Escape
Latest Tanzania law justice news · Francis Clifford Smith's 1967 Successful Prison Escape explained · updated Aug 21, 2026 · breaking news · latest updates · explained
TLDR
- Francis Clifford Smith was born in 1925 and died in June 2026 at the age of 101, making him the oldest prisoner in the United States.
- He was convicted of murder in 1950 for the death of Grover Hart, a nightclub bouncer, but always maintained his innocence.
- Smith was sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life imprisonment in 1954 after spending 16 years in prison.
- In 1967, he successfully escaped from prison but was recaptured 12 days later.
- He was granted a presidential pardon in 1975 but was returned to prison after 10 months for violating the terms of his release.