Francis Clifford Smith's 1975 Presidential Pardon Revoked After 10 Months
Latest Tanzania law justice news · Francis Clifford Smith's 1975 Presidential Pardon Revok… explained · updated Aug 21, 2026 · breaking news · latest updates · explained
TLDR
- Francis Clifford Smith, who died in June 2026 at the age of 101, was the oldest prisoner in the United States.
- He was convicted of murder in 1950 at the age of 25, maintaining his innocence throughout his life.
- Smith was sentenced for the 1949 killing of a nightclub bouncer named Grover Hart, and his co-defendant testified against him.
- In 1954, his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, and he spent 76 years in prison before his death.
- He attempted to escape from prison in 1967 but was recaptured 12 days later.