Who is the longest death row inmate acquitted?

Asked by: Dr. Abbigail Watsica  |  Last update: December 14, 2025
Score: 5/5 (12 votes)

Iwao Hakamada, an 88-year-old former boxer, was found not guilty last Thursday by the Shizuoka District Court which concluded that police and prosecutors collaborated in fabricating and planting evidence against him.

What is the longest someone's been on death row?

After a long fight for justice led by his sister, 88-year-old Iwao Hakamada was on Thursday declared innocent of the quadruple murder that he spent 46 years on death row for.

Who was the Japanese man on death row for 50 years?

Iwao Hakamada, 88, was kept on death row for more than 50 of those years before being acquitted in a retrial last month. Shizuoka District Court said police and prosecutors had collaborated to fabricate and plant evidence against the former boxer, and used violence to force him to confess.

Who is the longest-serving death row inmate in the world?

When a court declared Iwao Hakamata innocent in September, the world's longest-serving death row inmate seemed unable to comprehend, much less savour the moment. "I told him he was acquitted, and he was silent," Hideko Hakamata, his 91-year-old sister, tells the BBC at her home in Hamamatsu, Japan.

Who is the 88 year old Japanese man?

An 88-year-old man was cleared of murder after spending 46 years on death row — mostly in solitary confinement. Iwao Hakamada was acquitted after 46 years on death row for a 1968 quadruple murder. Hakamada was the longest-serving inmate on death row of any prisoner worldwide.

World’s longest-serving death row inmate, 88, is ACQUITTED after spending 56 years facing execution

44 related questions found

Why do they do executions at midnight?

One other advantage of holding executions in the middle of the night is that the rest of the prison's inmate population is locked down and presumably asleep. That minimizes the threat of any sort of unrest at the appointed hour.

What is the age limit for death row?

In the death penalty context, that principle has caused debate about what age is too young for someone to be subject to execution. International human rights law has long prohibited the use of the death penalty against people who were younger than age 18 at the time of the offense.

Why is a life sentence only 25 years?

Sometimes indeterminate sentences contain a number of years before the life sentence part, as in 25 years to life. This timeframe gives the judge leeway for assigning the minimum years, as well as the point at which the possibility of parole can be reached.

What is the busiest jail in the US?

With roughly twice as many imprisoned people as are in New York's far more notorious Rikers Island complex, Los Angeles is home to the largest jail system in the most heavily incarcerated country in the world.

What do death row inmates do all day?

Most death row prisoners in the United States are locked alone in small cells for 22 to 24 hours a day with little human contact or interaction; reduced or no natural light; and severe constraints on visitation, including the inability to ever touch friends or loved ones.

Who survived death row 3 times?

John Henry George "Babbacombe" Lee (15 August 1864 – 19 March 1945) was an Englishman famous for surviving three attempts to hang him for murder.

What 4 states have the largest number of death row inmates?

Jurisdictions with the most prisoners on death row:

California (636) Florida (291) Texas (180) Alabama (166)

Can you have alcohol for your last meal on death row?

In the United States, most states give the meal a day or two before execution and use the euphemism "special meal". Alcohol and tobacco are usually, but not always, denied. Unorthodox or unavailable requests are replaced with similar substitutes. Some states place tight restrictions.

What happens an hour before execution?

Hours before execution, the prisoner will have their final meal. Then return to death watch to wait for the courts to issue their final decisions on any pending legal appeals. Names are pulled out of a bowl to decide which journalists will be chosen to witness the execution.

What was the most expensive last meal on death row?

Regarding the most expensive final dinner granted, it is likely that Robert Dale Conkin's last meal holds that distinction. In 2005, Conkin was scheduled for execution in Georgia. For his final meal, he requested and consumed the following: Filet mignon wrapped in bacon.

What is the shortest time on death row?

Joe Gonzales holds the record for the shortest time on death row at 252 days. David Lee Powell spent the longest time on death row at 11,575 days (31 years).

Who is the oldest woman on death row?

Blanche Taylor Moore (née Kiser; born February 17, 1933) is an American convicted murderer and a possible serial killer from Alamance County, North Carolina. She is awaiting execution in North Carolina for the fatal poisoning of her boyfriend in 1986.

Which Japanese man has gone 20 years without speaking to wife?

A man in Japan refused to speak to his wife for two decades, even as the couple raised three kids. Reportedly Otou Katayama would only respond to his wife Yumi by grunting or nodding though he maintained a regular relationship with his kids. This 'silent treatment' confused his kids and troubled his wife.

Who was the Japanese soldier that hid for 29 years?

Hiroo Onoda (middle): The Imperial Japanese soldier who hid in the Philippine jungle for 30 years after WWII.