People do bad and illegal things, we’ve known this for a while. That’s partly why we are in the business of bailing people out of jail! Here are some of the longest-served prison sentences and what they did to earn such hefty sentences.
There is a lesson to be learned from these men, we would say don’t follow in their footsteps. If trouble finds you, call ABC Bail Bonds for help.
Number 1 Longest-Served Prison Sentence: Charles Fossard
Charles Fossard is at the top of the list for the longest-served prison sentence. He was in the J Ward Mental asylum for his incarceration.
He was a homeless man in Australia who murdered an elderly man for his boots. Fossard passed away in prison at 92 years old, having spent the majority of his life in prison. Fossard takes the prize for the longest-served prison sentence at 70 years and 303 days.
Walter H. Bourque Jr.
Walter was sentenced to 99 years and 6 months in prison in 1955 for the brutal murder of a young girl. He was 17 at the time and continues to serve his sentence in prison today. As of now, he has been there for 66 years, nearing 67.
Walter is currently the longest-serving prisoner in New Hampshire. As he continues to serve his sentence, we are wondering if in a few years he will be the one to break past the 70-year mark some of his prison predecessors lived to.
Johnson Van Dyke Grigsby
Grigsby killed a man in a bar fight and attempted to get out on parole 69 times. 69 times he was denied the privilege of parole. Grigsby was released at 89 years old, only to find that the world outside his prison cell did not wait for him. He couldn’t find a job and returned to the prison of his own free will, but did not stay long.
He served 66 years and 123 days.
The Lipstick Killer
William Heirens was a vile man convicted of murdering 3 women and writing a message in lipstick after. He was in prison for 65 years and 181 days. When he was initially convicted, he was sentenced to 3 life terms.
Heirens died in prison in 2012 and was said to be the longest surviving prisoner in Chicago.
“Old Bill” Wallace
Here’s another Australian prison sentence that is verging on record-breaking. “Old Bill” shot another man in a Melbourne cafe. For what, you ask? Over a cigarette-related argument, of course.
“Old Bill” made it into the Guinness World Records as the oldest prisoner in world history. He died at 107 years old, just a few weeks before he would turn 108.
Harvey Stewart
After his return to prison the third time, Stewart had the longest-served prison sentence, although not served all consecutively. His convictions were for robbery and murder. He was released on parole several different times and served a total of 59 years in Texas.
ABC Bail Bonds in Houston
If you are arrested in Houston, we can help you out. It’s as easy as 1-2-3, call ABC Bail Bonds in Houston. Hopefully, for your sake and ours, your crimes aren’t as serious as the ones we mentioned above.
There are many factors that are considered when sentencing a criminal to prison, and the sentence lengths vary by quite a large margin. We have heard of people getting thousands of years sentenced, or as low as just a few minutes.
Call us for a bail bond If you are arrested in Houston. Await your trial from your home, not a jail cell. We can help any time of the day, so call us to speak with a bail bondsman.
