Francis Clifford Smith, who spent more than seven decades in Connecticut’s correctional system, died on June 25, 2026, at the age of 101. His extraordinary case began in 1949 when he was convicted of murdering night watchman Grover S. Hart and sentenced to death.

Smith continued to maintain his innocence throughout his decades behind bars. His death sentence was eventually commuted to life imprisonment in 1954 after years of legal challenges and several scheduled execution dates. Questions surrounding the evidence and later claims involving another possible suspect kept the case controversial.

During his long imprisonment, Smith became known as the “Birdman of Osborn” because of his habit of feeding birds around the prison. His story became unusual not only because of the length of his incarceration, but also because he remained connected to the outside world through his care for the animals.

In his later years, Smith was released under supervised parole and lived in a nursing facility. He died at 101, leaving behind one of the longest and most unusual incarceration stories in American history, marked by decades of imprisonment, repeated legal battles, and a conviction he never stopped disputing.