[PERSON_NAME], who served 70 years in prison for fatally shooting a yacht club night watchman during a 1949 robbery, died on June 25 at age 101. His death at a nursing home facility was confirmed by the Connecticut Department of Correction.

Convicted of first-degree murder in 1950, he received eight reprieves from the electric chair following a telegram campaign organized by realtor [PERSON_NAME]. On June 7, officials commuted his sentence just hours before he was scheduled to die.

Aside from a short escape attempt and a parole violation, he remained behind bars until 2020. Decades later, he described an almost talismanic fear of the chair, noting it “cooks you.” He maintained his innocence throughout confinement, frequently discussing his trial with anyone willing to listen. He spent his final years in a secure unit. Experts note that stricter sentencing laws may mean other lengthy incarcerations simply go unrecorded.