From Everything at Once to Nothing at All
When we think of true crime, we often focus on the more macabre details—but last meals are just as telling as an inmate’s alias. Whether it’s asking for twenty tacos or a simple bag of candy, here are some well-known final requests.
1. John Wayne Gacy
The name alone sparks memories of his crime spree, though not many know what the notorious monster ordered for his last meal. Before telling off prosecutors with his last words, his final meal consisted of KFC, fries, fried shrimp, strawberries, and a Diet Coke.
2. Ted Bundy
We've heard about Bundy's life thanks to several books, films, and TV shows. What might still shock you is his last meal. He actually declined one and was given the same meal reserved for all death row inmates: medium-rare steak, eggs over easy, hash browns, buttered toast, milk, and juice. Allegedly, he didn’t take one bite.
3. Gary Simmons Jr.
Simmons Jr.’s final meal was gargantuan—two Pizza Hut pizzas, ten packs of Parmesan cheese and ranch dressing, one family-size pack of Doritos, jalapeño nacho cheese, and sliced jalapeños. The whole thing clocked in just shy of 30,000 calories, and he didn’t finish.
4. Robert Alton Harris
Harris was charged back in the late ‘70s for his crimes, though he was hardly a stranger to the justice system before then. When he was finally brought to the gas chamber in 1992, he requested two large pizzas, fried chicken, and ice cream.
5. Timothy McVeigh
McVeigh was sentenced to death row in 1995, responsible for nearly 200 lives after his attack in Oklahoma City. His last meal was a simple request—mint chocolate chip ice cream.
6. William Bonin
Bonin’s reign of terror stretched on for over a year, though he was a notoriously troubled child far before then. His actions earned him a death row sentence, which was carried out in 1996. Before his demise, he requested two large pizzas, three pints of ice cream, and three six-packs of Coke.
7. Ignacio Cuevas
In one of the longest prison sieges in American history, Ignacio Cuevas led an 11-day uprising in the Huntsville Unit in 1974. Several hostages lost their lives and Cuevas paid the price for his involvement. His last meal was chicken and dumplings, steamed rice, bread, black-eyed peas, and iced tea.
8. Gerald Lee Mitchell
At just 17 years old, Mitchell claimed the lives of two people. He lost his own life at 33, but did indulge in his final meal request before the needle—a bag of Jolly Ranchers.
9. Karla Faye Tucker
Tucker’s crimes may elude you but her case actually caused quite the uproar in the ‘80s. Given that she was a woman, advocates (including government officials) called for a life sentence instead. She still got the needle and asked that her last meal be a banana, a peach, and a garden salad.
10. Ricky Ray Rector
Quite a few things stand out from Rector’s last day, like how it took nearly an hour for staff to find a suitable vein. Perhaps more notable was his last meal: steak, fried chicken, Kool-Aid, and pecan pie—a slice that went uneaten because he was “saving it for later.”
11. Stephen Anderson
Anderson was put to the needle in 2002, requesting a bit of everything before his last breath. His final meal consisted of two grilled cheeses, cottage cheese, corn, peach pie, and chocolate chip ice cream.
Pixzolo Photography on Unsplash
12. Aileen Wuornos
Whether you know her face or recognize Charlize Theron’s portrayal, plenty of true crime buffs know about Aileen Wuornos. She was allowed a final meal under $20 but opted for a cup of coffee instead.
13. Gary Gilmore
Gilmore had trouble with the law since he was 14, but only after his 1976 spree did he voluntarily request death row. He was the first person in almost a decade to get it and wanted a burger, eggs, a baked potato, coffee, and three shots of Jack Daniel's for his last meal.
14. Velma Barfield
In 1984, Barfield was the first woman in the United States to get an injection—and the first person since the ‘76 reinstatement of capital punishment. She didn’t ask for much as a last meal, indulging only in Cheetos and Coke.
15. James Edward Smith
You might not know his name or even what he did, but his case still attracted plenty of attention. Bizarrely enough, Smith’s request was for a lump of dirt. The prison didn’t comply and he was instead offered yogurt, which he took.
16. Philip Workman
Workman made headlines in 2007 after declining a final meal, instead asking that a vegetarian pizza be given to the homeless. Prison staff denied the request—however, that didn’t stop advocates on the outside from donating over $1000 in pizza to homeless shelters across Tennessee.
17. Thomas Joseph Grasso
Grasso wasn’t leaving without a giant meal of steamed mussels and clams, a Burger King cheeseburger, spare ribs, two strawberry milkshakes, half a pumpkin pie, strawberries, and SpaghettiOs. However, in a final statement, he claimed, “I did not get my SpaghettiOs, I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this."
Thomson200 on Wikimedia Commons
18. Lawrence Russell Brewer
His was the meal quite literally to end all last meals. Brewer wanted a lot on his way out—he asked for everything from fully loaded fajitas and pizzas to a pound of meat and ice cream. However, when presented with his feast, Brewer said he wasn’t hungry and the entire thing went to waste. The ordeal was enough for the state senator to put an end to Texas’s 87-year-old tradition of last meals.
Zantastik~commonswiki on Wikimedia
19. Peter J. Miniel
Miniel was fortunate enough to place his humongous order before the 2011 abolishment of last meals. In 2004, his final meal request consisted of 20 beef tacos and enchiladas, a small fruit cake, half of each a vanilla and chocolate cake, and multiple kinds of soda (among other things).
20. Robert Anthony Buell
Buell spent nearly 20 years on death row before making his final request—a single, unpitted black olive. As strange as it sounds, he’s not even the first death row inmate to ask such a thing. In the ‘60s, Victor Feuger also asked for an unpitted olive. The pit was later discovered in his coat pocket after his demise.
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