Paul Geidel

Paul Geidel Jr. (April 21, 1894 – May 1, 1987) was the third longest-serving prison inmate in the United States whose sentence ended with his parole, a fact that earned him a place in Guinness World Records.

As Geidel's tenure in prison went by, he developed a rapport with prison officials, who sometimes took him out to a baseball game, or other outings.

Geidel was granted parole in August 1974, but the then-80-year-old inmate did not want to leave. Having lived in prison for 63 years—his entire adult life—and having no family, he believed he would not make it on the outside, having become institutionalized. He chose to remain in prison for almost six more years.

Release On May 7, 1980, Geidel left Fishkill, having served at the time the longest prison sentence in United States history. "No publicity please", Geidel said with a smile to reporters as he was leaving the facility. He is believed to have lived out the remainder of his days in a Beacon, New York nursing home, before dying on May 1, 1987, at age 93.