Have you ever thought about what you would eat as your last meal? It is something that friends sitting around sometimes discuss. For us it is a fun exercise. For inmates on Death Row it is something they are actually asked and expected to come up with an answer for. Different from your average human, Death Row inmates know the exact date and time of their deaths. As such they can decide upon what the last food they put in their mouth is. This is the last choice that the inmates can make for themselves and it can be their last statement to society. Because of the odd nature of the situation, some inmates’ requests have been odd to say the least. Here is a list of the 10 craziest last meal requests:
10) Two Pints of Mint Chip Ice Cream: Made By: Timothy McVie. Year: 2001. Crime: Responsible for the death of 168 people and injuring 680 in the Oklahoma City bombing. Sentence: Death by lethal injection. Obviously he was not concerned with the calories involved in his choice. Was he trying to cleanse his palate?
9) Twelve Chocolate Bars and Some Ice Cream: Made by: Dobie Gillis Williams. Year: 1999. Crime: Murder. Sentence: Death by lethal injection. He was one of two subjects of a novel by anti-death penalty activist and Catholic nun Sister Helen Prejean. She claimed that his defense was shoddy and was wrongfully convicted because he was poor. Had an IQ of 65.
8) A Can of Coke and a Bag of Cheez Doodles: Made by: Velma Barfield. Year: 1984. Crime: Five murders. Sentence: Death by lethal injection. She was the first woman to be put to death after the return of the death penalty in 1977. Barfield made no special last meal request. Rather she wanted these two junk food staples.
7) A Cup of Coffee: Made By: Aileen Wuornos. Year: 2002. Crime: Murder of seven men. Sentence: Death by lethal injection. Was she not hungry? Did she want to fully awake when she was put to death? Her strange request had people talking.
6) A Bag of Assorted Flavoured Jolly Ranchers: By: Gerald Lee Mitchell. Year: 2001. Crime: Murder of two men during a botched drug deal. Sentence: Death by lethal injection. Was it due to the fact that he was tested to have an IQ of 75 and didn’t really understand what he was doing? Whatever the reason he was a candy lover until the end. As such it almost made sense when he requested a bad of Jolly Ranchers.
5) Two Bottles of Coke and an Onion: Made By: James Hudson. Year: 2004. Crime: Murder. Sentence: Death by lethal injection. Did he want to breathe onion breath on his executioners? Was he worried about his blood and heard that onions were good for the blood?
4) 20 Enchiladas, 20 beef tacos, 20 Beef Enchiladas, 2 Double Cheeseburgers, a Pizza with jalapenos, Fried Chicken, Spaghetti with Salt, A Small Fruit Cake, A Small Fruit Cake, Half a Chocolate and Half a Vanilla Cake, Cookies-n-Cream Ice Cream, Caramel Pecan Fudge Ice Cream, 2 Cokes, 2 Pepsis, 2 Root Beers and 2 Orange Juices: Made by: Peter J. Miniel. Year: 2004. Crime: Robbery and murder. Sentence: Death by lethal injection. This was the largest last meal request every recorded.
3) A Single Olive With a Pit Inside: Made by: Victor Fueger. Year: 1963. Crime: Single murder. Sentence: Death by hanging. Another murderer who was not hungry? Did he want a martini? Curiousity arose. After he was put to death they found the pit in his pocket.
2) Justice, World Peace and Equality: Made By: Odell Barnes. Year: 2000. Crime: Murder. Sentence: Death by lethal injection. His entire trial and conviction was called into question by human rights groups and himself. He claimed innocence until his death.
1) A Lump of Dirt: Made by: James Edward Smith. Year: 1990. Crime: Robbery and murder. Sentence: Death by lethal injection. An attempt at humour? Not hungry? Part of a voodoo ritual? Whatever the case the warden refused his request as it was not on the approved food list and so his second choice was a cup of yogurt.
