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The 101-Year Journey of a Wrongly Convicted Man | Salt Lake City News
Francis Clifford Smith, once believed to be America’s oldest inmate, died peacefully at 101 after spending over 70 years behind bars — a sentence that narrowly spared him execution eight times. Convicted of murder in 1950 at age 25 for killing a night watchman during a yacht club robbery, he always claimed innocence. His death sentence was commuted to life in 1954, launching a decades-long journey through prison, escape attempts, parole violations, and eventual supervised release in 2020. His passing closes a haunting chapter on justice, resilience, and the enduring human cost of long-term…
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