Francis Smith, described as the oldest inmate in the United States, has died at the age of 101 after a prison sentence marked by repeated stays from execution.
Smith had been spared execution on eight separate occasions, making his case notable both for its length and for the number of times his death sentence was not carried out.
His death also places renewed attention on the ageing prison population in the US. Smith was identified as part of a growing group of elderly people who remain incarcerated into advanced age.
No further details were provided about the circumstances of his death, the prison where he was held, or the legal proceedings that led to the repeated reprieves.
Smith’s death brings an end to one of the most unusual cases involving an elderly prisoner in the United States, where his age and the number of times he avoided execution had made him a distinctive figure among the incarcerated population.
