1. Two Pints of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (Timothy McVeigh)
Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh’s sweet tooth made headlines when he asked for two full pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream. It’s a jarring request considering the gravity of his crimes, juxtaposing innocence with his horrific legacy.
2. A Bucket of Dirt (James Edward Smith)
James Edward Smith wanted to eat dirt for his final meal, specifically requesting “rhaeakunda” soil used in voodoo rituals. His request was denied, and he settled for yogurt. His strange ask reflected his deep belief in spiritual practices.
3. Lobster Tail and Ice Cream (John Wayne Gacy)
The infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy went for decadence: fried shrimp, fried chicken, French fries, a pound of strawberries, and lobster tail. The meal highlighted the disturbing normalcy of his preferences amidst his dark deeds.
4. Pizza for a Stranger (Philip Workman)
Philip Workman didn’t ask for anything for himself. Instead, he requested a vegetarian pizza to be delivered to a homeless person. Though the prison denied the request, the gesture sparked a wave of charitable pizza donations in his memory.
5. A Single Olive with the Pit (Victor Feguer)
Victor Feguer, executed in 1963, requested just one olive with the pit intact. He said he hoped the pit would grow into an olive tree, symbolizing peace. This simple yet profound request remains one of the most haunting in death row history.
6. A Pecan Pie—Left Untouched (Karla Faye Tucker)
Karla Faye Tucker, the first woman executed in Texas since 1863, asked for a pecan pie but didn’t eat it. Some saw it as symbolic of her deep remorse, while others interpreted it as an attempt to make peace with her fate.
7. A Single Black Coffee (Aileen Wuornos)
The subject of the film Monster, Aileen Wuornos, chose simplicity: a single cup of black coffee. The starkness of her choice reflected her hardened personality and complex life.
8. Steak, Eggs, and Justice (Stephen Anderson)
Stephen Anderson’s traditional meal of steak, fried eggs, hash browns, and coffee ended with him calmly thanking the warden. The bizarre normalcy of his menu contrasted with his history of violent crime, making it eerily mundane.
9. A Feast Fit for a Kid (Ricky Ray Rector)
Ricky Ray Rector asked for steak, fried chicken, cherry Kool-Aid, and a slice of pecan pie. He famously left the pie untouched, saying he was “saving it for later.” Many interpreted this as a tragic sign of his diminished mental state.
10. A Massive Feast (Ted Bundy)
Bundy declined to pick a meal, so he received the default last meal: steak, eggs, hash browns, toast with butter, milk, coffee, and juice. The sheer size of the meal seemed ironic given his methodical nature in life.
11. One Bag of Reese’s Pieces (Fritz Haarmann)
This German-born murderer requested nothing but a bag of Reese’s Pieces, famously the favorite candy of E.T. Haarmann’s quirky choice gave a strange human touch to his otherwise horrifying story.
12. Fried Dill Pickles and a Pint of Ice Cream (Ronnie Lee Gardner)
Gardner asked for fried pickles, a pint of Haagen-Dazs ice cream, and to watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy. While the movies were denied, the food reflected a man seeking comfort in nostalgia during his last hours.
13. A Feast Worth Sharing (Allen Lee Davis)
Davis requested lobster tail, fried shrimp, clams, garlic bread, and cherry Coke. The sheer indulgence of this meal stood out as his last act before facing the electric chair, raising eyebrows for its celebratory tone.
14. A Buffet of the Mundane (Velma Barfield)
Velma Barfield, the first woman executed in the U.S. post-reinstatement of the death penalty, chose Cheez Doodles and a Coca-Cola. The modest meal spoke to her simple life and perhaps her resignation to her fate.
