Paul Heidel ( 1894 - 1987 ) is an American criminal recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the person who served the longest prison term in the history of justice. Convicted of second-degree murder in 1911 , he was released in 1980 , having served a total of 68 years and 245 days.
| Paul Heidel | |
|---|---|
| English Paul geidel | |
| Date of Birth | April 21, 1894 |
| Place of Birth | Hartford (Connecticut) |
| Date of death | May 1, 1987 ( 93) |
| Place of death | Datchess |
| Citizenship |  USA |
| Occupation | Porter, criminal. |
Biography
Paul Heidel was born April 21, 1894 in the city of Hartford , Connecticut . His father died when Paul was 5 years old, and he spent most of his childhood and youth in a shelter. By the age of 14, he graduated from high school and began working in various hotels in New York and Hartford City.
On July 26, 1911, Heidel, who at that time worked as a bellboy at a hotel on 44th West Street in New York, decided to rob the wealthy broker William Jackson who had stayed there. He sneaked into his room and strangled Jackson with a rag with chloroform . The killer's prey was a few dollars. Already on July 28, 1911, Heidel was arrested by the police.
On September 5, 1911, Heidel appeared before a court that convicted him of second-degree murder [1] and sentenced him to 20 years in prison . He served his sentence in Sing Sing Prison . For good behavior, his sentence was shortened, but in 1926, doctors revealed that Heidel was insane , and sent him to compulsory treatment at the Dannemore Hospital. The treatment lasted until 1972, after which Heidel was imprisoned in Fishkill Prison in New York [1] , in a unit for elderly prisoners [2] . In August 1974, he was granted parole , but 80-year-old Heidel did not want to leave prison and refused him [1] . In the last years before his release, he was quite freely in prison - he went with prison officers to baseball games and picnics [3] .
On May 7, 1980, Heidel was released from prison [1] . The last years of his life he spent in the nursing home of New York County Dutchess . He died in May 1987. Included in the Guinness Book of Records as a person who served the longest term in prison - a total of 68 years and 245 days [1] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 Guinness Book of Records. The longest stay in prison.
- ↑ New York Times , January 16, 1974, “Freedom Is Sought for a Murderer in Prison 62 Years”
- ↑ New York Times , June 22, 1975, Follow Up on the News
Media Publications
- New York Times , September 26, 1926, "Slayer Near Freedom Found to be Insane."
- New York Times, January 16, 1974 "Freedom Is Sought for a Murderer in Prison 62 Years."
- New York Times, June 22, 1975, Follow Up on the News.
- New York Times, May 9, 1980, "Convict is Released After 68 Years."