Smith was a young petty criminal when he was accused in 1949 of the murder of Grover Hart, a night watchman at a Connecticut yacht club. He was one of two men who were arrested over the killing but the other took a plea deal and gave evidence against Smith, who was later found guilty of first-degree murder.

His guilt and the evidence on which he was convicted have been questioned over the years - namely after witnesses recanted their statements and another inmate later confessed to the murder.

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