The Man Who Fought for Freedom, Then Rejected It
Convicted at 18, imprisoned for nearly 70 years, Paul Geidel Jr. became the world’s longest-serving prisoner—yet when release finally came, he refused to walk out the door.
"He remained incarcerated until May 7, 1980, when he was released at age 86 to a nursing home. He died seven years later at age 93."
The Crime
In 1911, Paul Geidel Jr. was sentenced to 20 years to life for the murder and robbery of a wealthy broker. The crime took place at the Iroquois Hotel in New York, where Geidel worked as a bellhop. He was just 18 years old at the time.
A Path Through the System
Initially sent to Sing Sing prison, Geidel was soon declared legally insane and transferred to Dannemora State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. His first chance at parole came in 1929—it was denied. Decades passed in institutional care before he was moved to Fishkill Correctional Facility in 1972.
The Paradox of Parole
When Geidel was finally granted parole in 1974, he made an unexpected decision: he rejected it. He stated that he was afraid of the outside world and had no family left to return to. Prison, despite its horrors, had become the only life he knew.
The World’s Longest Incarceration
Geidel remained behind bars until May 7, 1980, when he was released at age 86 to a nursing home. At the time of his release, he held the record for the longest-serving prisoner in world history.
He died seven years later at the age of 93, having spent nearly seven decades confined by the state—and ultimately, by his own profound fear of freedom.