Oldest and Youngest Prisoners in US History

Published December 5th, 2023

Having to serve time in prison is something we would not carelessly wish on anyone. It completely changes someone’s fate and life trajectory. In an instance, your liberty, rights, and privileges seem to evaporate or pause. It is devastating.

In this article, we’ll have a rich discussion about the oldest and youngest prisoners in US history. Let’s find out their stories. 

Oldest Prisoners in the US

While it may be challenging to imagine someone who is old enough to be a grandparent as a law offender, the sad reality is that many prisoners are senior citizens. This is especially true in the United States. Regardless of how you may personally feel about locking anyone over 65, all of the people on this list are guilty of punishable crimes. 

In addition, nearly all of the USA’s oldest prisoners died in jail. Some were released when they were too frail to endure the rest of their sentence. 

1. Paul Geidel (April 21, 1894- May 1, 1987) 

Paul Geidel currently holds the record for the longest prison sentence served in the US, a fact acknowledged in the Guinness Book of World Records. He was in a correctional facility for over 68 years, and he had to be convinced to leave. He was granted parole in 1974 but did not want to be released. 

Geidel was an orphan as early as age 7. When he was 17, he murdered William Jackson, a resident of an apartment motel he worked at. Geidel assumed that Jackson had a secret stash of money in his apartment. He uses chloroform to knock his victim and kill him so he can ransack his home. 

Following his release from prison, Paul stayed at a nursing home. He passed away in 1897. 

2. Johnson Van Dyke Grigsby (February 1886- May 18, 1987) 

Johnson Van Dyke Grigsby, like a few others on this record, served one of the longest prison sentences ever globally. He spent almost seven decades, 66 years in jail. He was guilty of second-degree murder that took place in 1908. 

Grigsby stabbed a man named James Brown, which resulted in his death. It is in a saloon over a card game. Brown, who was white, reportedly spoke racial slurs at Johnson. He was an African American. Grigsby got a life sentence in return. 

In jail, he was considered a model prisoner. He spent his time reading the Bible. Yet, sadly, he spent a large part of his time under psychiatric observation in a ward for the criminally insane. It is despite never exhibiting signs of mental illness. 

After his release at age 89, the media covered Grigby’s story. He has a song called “Michigan City Howdy Do,” by Johnny Cash. 

3. Lucille Keppen (May 29, 1914- April 2012)

Lucille Keppen is the only woman on this list. She was the oldest female prisoner in US history and possibly the world. Keppen’s time as the oldest female lock-up started in late 2002. She shot her neighbor Stephen Flesche in the back. 

At the time, Lucille lived alone. She outlived her husband and both of her sons. Flesche had befriended Keeper, but the relationship eventually soured. She felt forced to shoot Flesche. She was 93 when imprisoned. 

Fortunately, Flesche survived. He did not object to being locked up at her advanced age. Flesche was released after four years. She died sometime in early 2012. 

4. John Bunz (c. 1919- December 17, 2013) 

Although John Bunz was sentenced to almost 18 years in prison, he was only there for a few years. He died at the age of 94. 

Senior citizens do not often end up incarcerated, but Bunz landed in jail after he killed his 89-year-old wife. It happened in early 210. He hit his wife in the head 30 times with a hammer. He pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. 

Before murdering his partner, he had always been a law-abiding citizen. His sudden turn to violence is a mystery. After realizing what he had done, Bunz attempted to commit suicide. Police accounts show that he had struggled with depression. 

5. Francis Clifford Smith (September 1, 1924- Present)

Until 2020, Francis Clifford Smith was the oldest living prisoner. Yet, according to a Connecticut-based news site, he was moved to a nursing home. He was paroled. 

Smith holds the record for the second-longest prison sentence, following Charles Fossard. 

Smith is serving a life sentence. He is residing at Osborn Correctional Institution. He murdered a nightwatchman named Grover Hart. The crime took place on July 23, 1949. During it, Smith was only 24 years old. He spent almost all of his adult life behind bars. 

In 1967, Smith escaped for 11 days when he was being transferred to a minimum-security prison farm. He was recaptured and remained out of the news. He was partially released in 2020. 

6. John “Sonny” Franzese (February 6, 1917-February 24,2020) 

John “Sonny” Franzese is the best-known of all the prisoners on our list. It is because of his involvement with the Mafia’s Combo crime family. Although he served his last sentence from 2010 to 2017, his arrest records date back to 1938. 

Some of John’s early crimes are assault, rape, gambling, and vagrancy. He is also guilty of disorderly conduct. Franzese’s last sentence resulted from violating his parole on his original 50-year sentence from 1967. He was planning several bank robberies. 

He was the oldest inmate in the American federal prison system at 100 years of age. Franzense left jail looking frail. He plans to spend the rest of his life with the non-estranged loved ones. 

Throughout his long life, he has spent about 40 years total in prison. In 2020, he passed away. He was 103 years old. 

7. Theodore Sypnier (c.1909- December 2010) 

Before he died in late 2010 at 101 years old, Theodore was the most senior American prisoner. He was guilty of being a pedophile. He had a long history of sexually abusing children. His first conviction was in 1987. Sadly, he was only given three years probation for sex abuse. 

The first time Sypier went behind bars was in 1994. His sentence was short. He only served a year for sexually abusing a minor. 

Sypnier’s last conviction was in 2000. He is guilty of violent sexual abuse of two young sisters the year before. In 2009, he was released to a halfway house. It is despite several objections from judges, prosecutors, and anyone who knew him. The doctor was returned to jail a few months later. It is after he showed no remorse and intentions to change his ways. 

Youngest Prisoners to Go to Jail

Going to prison can be one of the most daunting experiences of a lifetime. Between a life behind bars and the aggression and violence that seems normal in it, a person has to be made of stern stuff. It needs to be this way to get by in a penitentiary. 

There are cases of being jailed as a child. Most kids go to juvenile detention centers. Yet, others go to full-blown adult prisons. Prisons know no age. Let’s explore the youngest prisoners who go to jail. 

1. Evan Miller, 14

Evan Miller and his friend Colby Smith had performed to rob Miller’s neighbor. He is named Cole Cannon. Upon returning Cole’s wallet, the old man regains consciousness. Colby Smith proceeded to hit the man. It is done with a baseball bat. Even Miller then brutally beat Mr. Cannon, It is until his death. 

During his resentencing, Judge Mark Craig read part of Miller’s sworn testimony about the night of the murder. 

It shows, “Cole, I am God. I’ve come to take your life. 

2. Thomas McCloud Jr., 14

Thomas McCloud and his best friend mercilessly beat a homeless man until he was left with no pulse. He was Wilford Hamilton. The two teenagers were only six months apart and both fourteen years old when they did it. They had another victim after the first homeless man. He was Lee Hoffman, who was also destitute. 

Wilford Hamilton died a week after what he had gone through. McClodud and his best friends beat a third homeless man. He survived with broken ribs and a broken nose. 

3. Dontez Tillman, 14 

Dontez Tillman was 14 years old at the time he committed his offense. He and a group of teenagers beat a homeless man, Hamilton Wilford. He and his best friend Thomas McCloud were guilty of murder. 

After completing only two years of prison, Tillman reasoned that he was not mad at the police, prosecution, and judge- he was angry at the courtroom itself. He said that he had a dream in which he destroyed the courtroom. 

Tillman is the youngest person in Michigan to arrange a life sentence. 

4. Lionel Alexander Tate, 13 

Lionel Alexander Tate was just 12 years old when he murdered his victim. She was Tiffany’s eunuch, who was only six years old. Tate affirmed to have been playing with the girl when she stopped breathing. He said that he had the young girl in a headlock. She hit her head on a nearby table. 

Upon further examination done by forensics, the girl had multiple severe bruises. It includes a lacerated liver. Her bruises were acquired by someone who had been dropped from the third floor of an establishment. 

5. Anton Woode, 11 

On November 2, 1892, Anton Woode showed a wealthy businessman an excellent hunting ground. The businessman in question is Joseph Smith. On their way, he noticed the man’s gold watch and gun. He envied the items. As they walked, Wood moved behind him. He shot him to death. 

According to a published article in 1893. Wood would kill anyone to get what he wanted. He was not remorseful of his conduct. He is assumed to be a psychopath. 

Who Is the Oldest Prisoner in the US History?

Paul Geidel Jr. was the longest-serving prison inmate in US history. His sentence ended with his parole, which earned him recognition in the Guinness World Record. 

Geidel was convicted of second-degree murder in 1911. He was only 17 years old. He then served 68 years and 296 days in various New York State prisons. He was released on May 7, 1980. He was 86 years old. 

What Is the Longest Prison Sentence?

The longest prison sentence ever given to a single person is 141,078 years. This record was awarded to Chamoy Thipyaso. He was convicted of fraud in Thailand. He was involved in a massive pyramid scheme that defrauded thousands of people. 

How Old Do You Have to Be to Go to Jail?

Juvenile offenders may be subject to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court system. These are individuals under the age of 18. Yet, the age at which someone can be declared a juvenile offender varies by state. Most states set the age around 13-14 years old. And once a person turns 18, they are usually considered an adult. It is in the eyes of the court. 

Juvenile Age Range

Most states in the United States acknowledge individuals under 18 as Juveniles. Some States may set the age of majority at 16 or 17.