Last meal
Encyclopedia
The last meal is a customary part of a condemned prisoner
's last day. Often, the day of, or before, the appointed time of execution, the prisoner receives a last meal, as well as religious
rite
s, if they desire. In the United States
, inmates generally may not ask for an alcoholic drink. Other countries have different traditions, such as the "little glass of rum
" granted to the condemned in historical France
in the minutes before execution; but no formal last meal as they were told of the impending executions only on the fatal morning, generally minutes before the actual event.
In many countries the prisoner may, within reason, select what the last meal will be and the authorities do their best to satisfy the request.
_-_the_last_supper_(1495-1498).jpg)
Although the history of this tradition is difficult to trace, most modern governments that execute prisoners subscribe to it.
The ancient Greeks
, Chinese, and Romans
all traditionally gave the condemned man a final meal. The Aztecs fed their human sacrifice
s for up to a year before killing them.
In pre-modern Europe
, granting the condemned a last meal has roots in superstition
: a meal was a highly symbolic social act. Accepting freely offered food symbolized making peace with the host. The guest agreed tacitly to take an oath of truce and symbolically abjured all vengeance. Consequentially, in accepting the last meal the condemned was believed to forgive the executioner, the judge
, and witness(es). The ritual was supposed to prevent the condemned from returning as a ghost
or revenant
to haunt those responsible for their killing. As a superstitious precaution, the better the food and drink, the safer the condemned's oath of truce. Last meals were often public, and all parties involved in the penal process took part. The law of 18th Century England, however, as noted by Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England
, ca. 1765, made no such concession; "during the short but awful interval between sentence and execution, the prisoner shall be kept alone, and sustained with only bread and water".
There were practical side effects of a peaceful last meal as well. It was crucial for the authorities that a public execution was a successful spectacle. In the eyes of the contemporaries the violated law could only be restored by mirroring the crime via retaliative penalties (see lex talionis). However, if the mob believed something was wrong or the chief character of the show was reluctant to play their role, things could get out of hand and place the malefactor's guilt in doubt. Hence it was important for authorities that the condemned met their fate calmly. The condemned's solemn last meal symbolized to some observers that they accepted the punishment. Additionally, prisoners were often served large quantities of alcoholic beverages to soothe them and bar them from execrating the authorities while ascending the scaffold.
In Ancient Japan, samurai
warriors would sometimes commit seppuku
(ritual suicide) for a variety of reasons. Before the suicide, the Samurai would be served their favorite foods.
, most states give the meal a day or two before execution, and use the euphemism
"special meal". Alcohol
or tobacco
is usually denied. An unorthodox or unavailable request will be replaced with a substitute. Some states place tight restrictions. In Florida
, the food for the last meal must be purchased locally and the cost is limited to $40. In Louisiana
, the prison warden traditionally joins the soon-to-be executed inmate in his last meal; on one occasion, the warden paid for an inmate's lobster dinner out of his own pocket.
Some prisoners have elected to share their last meals with another inmate (like Francis Crowley
did with John Resko), or have the meal distributed among other inmates (like Raymond Fernandez
).
In September 2011, the state of Texas
abolished all special last meal requests after condemned prisoner Lawrence Russell Brewer requested a huge last meal then did not eat any of it, saying he was not hungry. His last meal request consisted of two chicken-fried steak
s with gravy and sliced onions; a triple-patty bacon cheeseburger; a cheese omelet with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and jalapeños; a bowl of fried okra
with ketchup; one pound of barbecued meat with half a loaf of white bread; three fajitas; a meat-lover’s pizza (topped with pepperoni, ham, beef, bacon and sausage); one pint
of Blue Bell
Ice Cream; a slab of peanut-butter fudge
with crushed peanuts; and three root beer
s (normally non-alcoholic). The abolition followed a complaint by a Texas Senator
, John Whitmire
, who called the meal "inappropriate". The tradition of customized last meals is thought to date back at least 87 years in Texas.
Condemned Prisoner
A condemned prisoner is a prisoner sentenced to death by a competent court of law. The punishment of death is usually implemented after confirmation of sentence by the highest court of the country and finally by the head of the state, in some countries....
's last day. Often, the day of, or before, the appointed time of execution, the prisoner receives a last meal, as well as religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
rite
Rite
A rite is an established, ceremonious, usually religious act. Rites in this sense fall into three major categories:* rites of passage, generally changing an individual's social status, such as marriage, baptism, or graduation....
s, if they desire. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, inmates generally may not ask for an alcoholic drink. Other countries have different traditions, such as the "little glass of rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
" granted to the condemned in historical France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in the minutes before execution; but no formal last meal as they were told of the impending executions only on the fatal morning, generally minutes before the actual event.
In many countries the prisoner may, within reason, select what the last meal will be and the authorities do their best to satisfy the request.
History
The ancient Greeks
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
, Chinese, and Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
all traditionally gave the condemned man a final meal. The Aztecs fed their human sacrifice
Human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
s for up to a year before killing them.
In pre-modern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, granting the condemned a last meal has roots in superstition
Superstition
Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
: a meal was a highly symbolic social act. Accepting freely offered food symbolized making peace with the host. The guest agreed tacitly to take an oath of truce and symbolically abjured all vengeance. Consequentially, in accepting the last meal the condemned was believed to forgive the executioner, the judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, and witness(es). The ritual was supposed to prevent the condemned from returning as a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
or revenant
Medieval revenant
A revenant is a visible ghost or animated corpse that was believed to return from the grave to terrorize the living. The word "revenant" is derived from the Latin word, revenans, "returning", from the verb "revenire"; in French, "revenant" means "coming back", from the verb "revenir", meaning "to...
to haunt those responsible for their killing. As a superstitious precaution, the better the food and drink, the safer the condemned's oath of truce. Last meals were often public, and all parties involved in the penal process took part. The law of 18th Century England, however, as noted by Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England
Commentaries on the Laws of England
The Commentaries on the Laws of England are an influential 18th-century treatise on the common law of England by Sir William Blackstone, originally published by the Clarendon Press at Oxford, 1765–1769...
, ca. 1765, made no such concession; "during the short but awful interval between sentence and execution, the prisoner shall be kept alone, and sustained with only bread and water".
There were practical side effects of a peaceful last meal as well. It was crucial for the authorities that a public execution was a successful spectacle. In the eyes of the contemporaries the violated law could only be restored by mirroring the crime via retaliative penalties (see lex talionis). However, if the mob believed something was wrong or the chief character of the show was reluctant to play their role, things could get out of hand and place the malefactor's guilt in doubt. Hence it was important for authorities that the condemned met their fate calmly. The condemned's solemn last meal symbolized to some observers that they accepted the punishment. Additionally, prisoners were often served large quantities of alcoholic beverages to soothe them and bar them from execrating the authorities while ascending the scaffold.
In Ancient Japan, samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
warriors would sometimes commit seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
(ritual suicide) for a variety of reasons. Before the suicide, the Samurai would be served their favorite foods.
Contemporary restrictions
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, most states give the meal a day or two before execution, and use the euphemism
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
"special meal". Alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
or tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
is usually denied. An unorthodox or unavailable request will be replaced with a substitute. Some states place tight restrictions. In Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, the food for the last meal must be purchased locally and the cost is limited to $40. In Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, the prison warden traditionally joins the soon-to-be executed inmate in his last meal; on one occasion, the warden paid for an inmate's lobster dinner out of his own pocket.
Some prisoners have elected to share their last meals with another inmate (like Francis Crowley
Francis Crowley
Francis "Two Gun" Crowley was an American murderer and career criminal. His crime spree lasted nearly three months, ending in a two-hour shootout with the New York City Police Department in May 1931 viewed by 15,000 bystanders...
did with John Resko), or have the meal distributed among other inmates (like Raymond Fernandez
Raymond Fernandez
Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck became known as "The Lonely Hearts Killers" after their arrest and trial for serial murder in 1949. Between 1947 and 1949 they are believed to have killed as many as twenty women...
).
In September 2011, the state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
abolished all special last meal requests after condemned prisoner Lawrence Russell Brewer requested a huge last meal then did not eat any of it, saying he was not hungry. His last meal request consisted of two chicken-fried steak
Chicken fried steak
Chicken fried steak is a dish consisting of a piece of steak coated with seasoned flour and pan-fried. It is associated with Texas cuisine...
s with gravy and sliced onions; a triple-patty bacon cheeseburger; a cheese omelet with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and jalapeños; a bowl of fried okra
Okra
Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of South Asian, Ethiopian and West African origins...
with ketchup; one pound of barbecued meat with half a loaf of white bread; three fajitas; a meat-lover’s pizza (topped with pepperoni, ham, beef, bacon and sausage); one pint
Pint
The pint is a unit of volume or capacity that was once used across much of Europe with values varying from state to state from less than half a litre to over one litre. Within continental Europe, the pint was replaced with the metric system during the nineteenth century...
of Blue Bell
Blue Bell Creameries
Blue Bell Creameries, founded in 1907, is the manufacturer of Blue Bell brand ice cream.Blue Bell sells its ice cream directly in only 20 states, mostly in the Southern United States, although Blue Bell ice cream has also been eaten aboard the International Space Station and at Camp David...
Ice Cream; a slab of peanut-butter fudge
Fudge
Fudge is a type of Western confectionery which is usually very sweet, and extremely rich. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it to the soft-ball stage at , and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency...
with crushed peanuts; and three root beer
Root beer
Root beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage, originally made using the root of a sassafras plant as the primary flavor. Root beer, popularized in North America, comes in two forms: alcoholic and soft drink. The historical root beer was analogous to small beer in that the process provided a drink...
s (normally non-alcoholic). The abolition followed a complaint by a Texas Senator
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
, John Whitmire
John Whitmire
John Harris Whitmire is the longest-serving of current members of the Texas State Senate representing District 15, which includes much of northern Houston, since 1983. Previously he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 through 1982...
, who called the meal "inappropriate". The tradition of customized last meals is thought to date back at least 87 years in Texas.
Documented last meal requests
This represents the items reported requested but does not, in all cases, represent what the prisoner actually received.International
- Adolf EichmannAdolf EichmannAdolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
: WWII German Nazi senior officer and Holocaust mass murder organizer; (German national) Israel 1962 - hanging: declined a special meal, preferring a bottle of CarmelCarmel WineryCarmel Winery is a vineyard and winery in Israel. Founded in 1882 by Edmond James de Rothschild, its products are exported to over 40 countries.- Overview :...
, a dry red IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i wine. He drank about half of it. - Andrei ChikatiloAndrei ChikatiloAndrei Romanovich Chikatilo was a Ukrainian-born Soviet serial killer, nicknamed the Butcher of Rostov, The Red Ripper or The Rostov Ripper who murdered a minimum of 52 women and children between 1978 and 1990...
:, The Butcher of Rostov and serial murder x 52; Russia, 1994 - gunshot behind right ear: porridge with a small piece of beef. - Charles PeaceCharles PeaceCharles Frederick Peace was a notorious English burglar and murderer from Sheffield, whose somewhat remarkable life later spawned dozens of romanticised novels and films...
: serial killer and Sherlock Holmes novel subject; England 1879 - hanging: A breakfast consisting of eggs and a large amount of salty bacon. - Joan of ArcJoan of ArcSaint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
: also "Saint Joan of Arc," convicted by the English of HeresyHeresyHeresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
during the 100 years war; (French citizen) England 1431 - Burning at the stake: Holy communion. - Peter KürtenPeter KürtenPeter Kürten was a German serial killer dubbed The Vampire of Düsseldorf by the contemporary media. He committed a series of sex crimes, assaults and murders against adults and children, most notoriously from February to November 1929 in Düsseldorf.-Early life:Kürten was born into a...
: The Vampire of Düsseldorf, serial killer/rapist x 9; Germany 1931 - DecapitationDecapitationDecapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
by guillotineGuillotineThe guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
: Wiener schnitzel, fried potatoes and a bottle of white wine. He requested seconds and received it. - Saddam HusseinSaddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
: mass murder; Iraq 2006 - hanging: The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
states that "he refused their offers of cigarettes and a last meal of chicken." Other sources state a variety of meal options.
United States
- Aileen WuornosAileen WuornosAileen Carol Wuornos was an American serial killer who killed seven men in Florida in 1989 and 1990, claiming they raped or attempted to rape her while she was working as a prostitute...
: serial killerSerial killerA serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
x 6; FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
2002 - lethal injection: declined a special meal, but had a hamburgerHamburgerA hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
and other snack food from the prison's canteen. Later, she drank a cup of coffee. - Bruno Richard Hauptmann: Lindbergh Kidnapping and murder; New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
1936 - electrocution: CeleryCeleryApium graveolens is a plant species in the family Apiaceae commonly known as celery or celeriac , depending on whether the petioles or roots are eaten: celery refers to the former and celeriac to the latter. Apium graveolens grows to 1 m tall...
, oliveOliveThe olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
s, chickenChickenThe chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
: French friesFrench friesFrench fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
, buttered peas, cherries, and a slice of cake. - Clarence Ray AllenClarence Ray AllenClarence Ray Allen was an American murderer who was executed by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison in California for the murders of three people. At age 76 in 2006, he became the second-oldest inmate to be executed in the United States since 1976, after John B. Nixon of Mississippi who...
: murder x 2; Utah 1958 - hanging: Buffalo steak, Kentucky Fried Chicken, sugar-free pecan pie and sugar-free black walnut ice cream. - Danny RollingDanny RollingDaniel Harold Rolling , also known as The Gainesville Ripper, was an American serial killer who murdered five students in Gainesville, Florida. Rolling later confessed to raping several of his victims, committing an additional 1989 triple homicide in Shreveport, Louisiana, and attempting to murder...
: The Gainesville Ripper, serial murder x 5; FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
2006 - lethal injection: LobsterLobsterClawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
tail, butterfly shrimpShrimpShrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, baked potatoBaked potatoA baked potato, or jacket potato, is the edible result of baking a potato. When well cooked, a baked potato has a fluffy interior and a crisp skin. It may be served with fillings and condiments such as butter, cheese or ham....
, strawberry cheesecake, and sweet teaSweet teaSweet tea is a style of iced tea commonly consumed in the Southern United States. Sweet tea is made by adding sugar to bags of black tea brewing in hot water while the mixture is still hot, which allows for supersaturation of the solution, enabling the tea to hold more dissolved sweetener than...
. - Gary GilmoreGary GilmoreGary Mark Gilmore was an American criminal, and murderer, who gained international notoriety for demanding that his own death sentence be fulfilled following two murders he committed in Utah. He became the first person executed in the United States after the U.S...
: murderer x 2; UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
1977 - firing squad: A hamburger, hard-boiled eggs, a baked potato, a few cups of coffee, and three shots of contraband Jack Daniel'sJack Daniel'sJack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
whiskey. - John Allen MuhammadJohn Allen MuhammadJohn Allen Muhammad was a spree killer from the United States. He, along with his younger partner, Lee Boyd Malvo, carried out the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks, killing at least 10 people. Muhammad and Malvo were arrested in connection with the attacks on October 24, 2002, following tips from alert...
: The Beltway Sniper, murder x 11/21; VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
2002 - lethal injection: Chicken with red sauce and several cakes. - John Wayne GacyJohn Wayne GacyJohn Wayne Gacy, Jr. was an American serial killer, rapist and clown who sexually assaulted and murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978. Gacy buried 26 of his victims in the crawlspace of his home, buried three others elsewhere on his property, and discarded the...
: Serial murderer x 33; IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
1980 - lethal injection: A dozen deep-fried shrimp, a bucket of original recipe chicken from KFCKFCKFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
, French fries, and a pound of strawberries. - Michael Bruce Ross: serial murder x 8; ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
2006 - lethal injection: declined a special meal, but dined on the regular prison meal of the day: turkey à la king with rice, mixed vegetables, white bread, fruit, and a beverage. - Rainey BetheaRainey BetheaRainey Bethea was the last person to be publicly executed in the United States. Bethea, who was a black man, confessed to the rape and murder of a 70-year-old white woman named Lischia Edwards, and after being convicted of her rape, he was publicly hanged in Owensboro, Kentucky...
: Murder/Rape, last person executed in public in the US; KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
1936 - hanged: Fried chicken, pork chops, mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers, cornbreadCornbreadCornbread is a generic name for any number of quick breads containing cornmeal and leavened by baking powder.-History:Native Americans were using ground corn for food thousands of years before European explorers arrived in the New World...
, lemon pie, and ice cream. - Ruth SnyderRuth SnyderRuth Brown Snyder was an American murderess. Her execution, in the electric chair at Sing Sing Prison, for the murder of her husband, Albert, was captured in a well-known photograph.-The crime:...
: American murderess photographed in the electric chair; New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
1928 - electrocution: Chicken Parmesan with alfredo pasta, ice cream, 2 milkshakes, and a 12-pack of grape soda. - Ted BundyTed BundyTheodore Robert "Ted" Bundy was an American serial killer, rapist, kidnapper, and necrophile who assaulted and murdered numerous young women during the 1970s, and possibly earlier...
: Serial killer; FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
1989 - electrocution: declined a special meal, so he was given the traditional steak (medium-rare), eggs (over-easy), hash browns, toast, milk, coffee, juice, butter, and jelly. - Timothy McVeighTimothy McVeighTimothy James McVeigh was a United States Army veteran and security guard who detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995...
: domestic terroristOklahoma City bombingThe Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
/mass murder x 168; OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
2001 - lethal injection: Two pints of mint chocolate-chip ice creamIce creamIce cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
. - Velma BarfieldVelma BarfieldMargie Velma Barfield was a serial killer, convicted of six murders. She was the first woman in the United States to be executed after the 1976 resumption of capital punishment and the first since 1962...
: murder x 6, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
1984 - lethal injection: declined a special meal, having a bag of Cheez DoodlesCheez DoodlesCheez Doodles are a cheese-flavored cheese puff produced by Wise Foods, Inc. which are similar to Frito-Lay's Cheetos. They debuted several years after Frito-Lay's snack in the 1950s. Originally developed and manufactured by King Kone Corp. of the Bronx , it became the prevalent cheese puff snack...
and a 12-ounceOunceThe ounce is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems...
can of Coca-ColaCoca-ColaCoca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
instead. - William BoninWilliam BoninWilliam George Bonin was an American serial killer and a twice-paroled sex offender, also known as the Freeway Killer, a nickname he shares with two other serial killers. Between 1979 and 1980, Bonin tortured, raped and killed a minimum of 21 boys and young men, and is suspected of committing a...
: serial murderer and rapist x 14, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
1996 - lethal injection: Two pepperoni and sausage pizzas, three servings of chocolate ice cream, and three six-packs of Coca-Cola and Pepsi .
Other prisoner requests
- Allen Lee DavisAllen Lee DavisAllen Lee Davis was a convicted murderer executed for the May 11, 1982 Jacksonville, Florida murder of Nancy Weiler, who was three months pregnant at the time...
, Murder x 3, Florida 1999: 350-pound "Tiny" Davis had one lobsterLobsterClawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
tail, fried potatoes, a half-pound of fried shrimpShrimpShrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, six ounces of fried clams, half a loaf of garlic bread, and 32 ounces of A&W root beer. - Ángel Nieves DíazÁngel Nieves DíazÁngel Nieves Díaz was a Puerto Rican convict who was executed by lethal injection in Raiford, Florida. Nieves Díaz was convicted for shooting and killing the manager of a strip club in 1979...
, murder, (Puerto Rican) Florida 2006: declined a special meal. He was served the regular prison meal for that day, but declined that as well. - Barton Kay KirkhamBarton Kay KirkhamBarton Kay Kirkham was a deserter of the United States Air Force who was discharged in 1955 after committing a robbery in Colorado...
: Pizzas and ice cream, "because you get cheese, meat and everything in one meal. Not so much fuss." - Dennis Wayne BagwellDennis BagwellDennis "Pete" Wayne Bagwell was a convicted murderer executed by lethal injection at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. Bagwell was found guilty of the 1995 murder of Libby Best, 24, Reba Best, 4, Tassy Boone, 14, and Leona McBee, 47...
: Medium rare steak with A1 Steak SauceA1 Steak SauceA1 is a steak sauce and condiment for use with meat or game dishes. It was developed in the United Kingdom as a brand in the year 1831 and was later introduced to the United States by G.F...
, fried chicken breasts and thighs, BBQ ribs, French fries, onion rings, bacon, scrambled eggs with onions, fried potatoes with onions, sliced tomatoes, salad with ranch dressing, two hamburgers, peach pie, milk, coffee, and iced tea with real sugar. - Desmond Keith CarterDesmond Keith CarterDesmond Keith Carter was convicted of the 1992 murder of Helen Purdy and executed in 2002 by the State of North Carolina at the Central Prison in Raleigh....
declined a special meal, but had two cheeseburgers, a steak sub, and two Cokes from the prison canteen, for which he paid $4.20 from his prison account. - Dobie Gillis WilliamsDobie Gillis WilliamsDobie Gillis Williams was convicted and executed in Louisiana for the murder of Sonja Knippers. In 2005, Williams was one of two subjects of a book by anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean...
: Twelve candy barCandy barA chocolate bar is a confection in bar form comprising some or all of the following components: cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar, milk. The relative presence or absence of these components form the subclasses of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. In addition to these main...
s and some ice cream. - Edward HartmanEdward HartmanEdward Ernest Hartman was convicted of the 1993 murder of Herman Smith, Sr. and was executed via lethal injection in 2003 by the State of North Carolina at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina....
: A Greek salad, linguini with white clam sauceClam sauceClam sauce is a topping for pasta, usually linguine. The two most popular varieties are white, usually featuring minced clams, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and parsley, or red, usually a thin tomato sauce with minced clams. Other variants include the incorporation of whole clams, hot pepper...
, cheesecake with cherry topping, garlic bread, and a Coke. - Eric WrinklesEric WrinklesMatthew "Eric" Wrinkles was a convicted multiple murderer, sentenced to death. He served 14 years at Indiana State Prison located in Michigan City, Indiana, where he was also executed on December 11, 2009....
: Prime rib, a "loaded" baked potato, pork chops with steak fries, rolls and two salads with ranch dressing, served three days before execution because Indiana State PrisonIndiana State PrisonThe Indiana State Prison is a maximum security Indiana Department of Corrections prison for adult males; however, minimum security housing also exists on the confines. It is located in Michigan City, Indiana, about east of Chicago. The average daily inmate population in November 2006 was 2,200. ...
system found that condemned inmates tend to lose their appetite near the end. - Francis CrowleyFrancis CrowleyFrancis "Two Gun" Crowley was an American murderer and career criminal. His crime spree lasted nearly three months, ending in a two-hour shootout with the New York City Police Department in May 1931 viewed by 15,000 bystanders...
: Steak and onions, french fries, apple pie, ice cream and melted ice cream. - Gary Lee DavisGary Lee DavisGary Lee Davis was a convicted murderer and rapist who was executed by the U.S. state of Colorado in 1997. He is the first person to have been subject to the death penalty in Colorado since the 1960s.-Early life:...
: Chocolate and vanilla ice cream cups, shared with the prison superintendent and a manager. - Gary Michael Heidnik had two slices of a cheese pizza and two cups of black coffee.
- Ignacio Cuevas, perpetrator of the 1974 Huntsville Prison Siege1974 Huntsville Prison SiegeThe 1974 Huntsville Prison Siege was an eleven-day prison uprising that took place from July 24 to August 3, 1974 at the Huntsville Unit of the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas...
- Chicken dumplings, steamed rice, sliced bread, black-eyes peas, and iced tea. - John Albert TaylorJohn Albert TaylorJohn Albert Taylor was an American who was convicted of burglary and carrying a concealed weapon in the state of Florida, and sexual assault and murder in the state of Utah. Taylor's own sister tipped off police in June 1989 after 11-year-old Charla King was found raped and strangled to death in...
: Pizzas "with everything." - John David DutyJohn David DutyJohn David Duty was an American who was executed in Oklahoma for first-degree murder. According to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, he is the first person in the United States to have been put to death with pentobarbital...
: A double cheeseburger with mayonnaise, a foot-long hot dog with cheese, mustard and extra onions, a cherry limeade, and a large banana shake. - Joseph Mitchell ParsonsJoseph Mitchell ParsonsJoseph Mitchell "Yogi" Parsons was an American who was executed for the August 1987 murder of Richard Lynn Ernest. Parsons hitched a ride with Ernest in California and stabbed him to death at a remote rest area in Utah...
: Three Burger King WhopperWhopperThe Whopper sandwich is the signature hamburger product sold by the international fast-food restaurant chain Burger King and its Australian franchise Hungry Jacks. Introduced in 1957, it has undergone several reformulations including resizing and bread changes...
s, two large orders of fries, a chocolate shake, chocolate chip ice cream, and a package of grape Hubba BubbaHubba BubbaHubba Bubba is a brand of bubble gum originally produced by Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated, in the United States in 1979 but more recently produced in countries around the world. The bubble gum got its name by the phrase "Hubba Hubba" that World War II soldiers used to...
bubblegum, to be shared with his brother and a cousin. - Karla Faye TuckerKarla Faye TuckerKarla Faye Tucker was convicted of murder in Texas in 1984 and put to death in 1998. She was the first woman to be executed in the United States since 1984, and the first in Texas since 1863...
: Banana, peach, and garden salad with ranch dressing. - Keith ZettlemoyerKeith ZettlemoyerKeith Zettlemoyer was convicted of the October 1980 murder of Charles DeVetsco, a friend who was planning to testify against him in a robbery trial. He was executed in 1995 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by lethal injection at the age of 39...
: Two cheeseburgers, fries, chocolate pudding and chocolate milk. - Lawrence Russell Brewer: Two chicken fried steaks smothered in gravy with sliced onions; a triple meat bacon cheeseburger with fixings on the side; a cheese omelet with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and jalapenos; a large bowl of fried okra with ketchup; one pound of barbecue with half a loaf of white bread; three fajitas with fixings; a Meat Lovers pizza; three root beers; one pint of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream; and a slab of peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts. Brewer's request was granted, but he refused the meal when it arrived, prompting Texas to stop granting last meal requests to condemned inmates.
- Lowell Lee AndrewsLowell Lee AndrewsLowell Lee Andrews was a University of Kansas sophomore convicted of the murders of his parents and his sister on November 28, 1958; a crime for which he was later executed.-Background:...
: Two fried chickens with sides of mashed potatoes, green beans and Pie a la ModePie a la Mode-History:Pie à la Mode was first made at the Cambridge Hotel in Cambridge, Washington County, New York in the 1890s. While visiting the hotel, Professor Charles Watson Townsend ordered a slice of apple pie with ice cream. When asked by another guest what he called the dish he replied it had no...
. - Mark Dean Schwab: Fried eggs (over easy), bacon, sausage links, hash browns, buttered toast, and a quart of chocolate milk.
- Martha Beck: Fried chicken, fried potatoes and salad.
- Perry SmithPerry Smith (murderer)Perry Edward Smith was one of two ex-convicts who murdered four members of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, United States on November 15, 1959, a crime made famous by Truman Capote in his 1966 non-fiction novel In Cold Blood.-Family and early life:Perry Edward Smith was born in Huntington,...
and Richard HickockRichard HickockRichard "Dick" Eugene Hickock was one of two ex-convicts who murdered the four members of the Herbert Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas on November 15, 1959, a crime made famous by Truman Capote in his 1966 non-fiction novel In Cold Blood...
: Shrimp, French fries, garlic bread, ice cream, and strawberries with whipped cream. - Odell Barnes: "Justice, Equality, World Peace."
- Peter KürtenPeter KürtenPeter Kürten was a German serial killer dubbed The Vampire of Düsseldorf by the contemporary media. He committed a series of sex crimes, assaults and murders against adults and children, most notoriously from February to November 1929 in Düsseldorf.-Early life:Kürten was born into a...
: Wiener schnitzel, fried potatoes and a bottle of white wine. He requested seconds and received it. - Philip WorkmanPhilip WorkmanPhilip Workman was a death row inmate executed in Tennessee on May 9, 2007. He was convicted in 1982 for the murder of a police officer following a botched robbery of a Wendy's restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee, and sentenced to death by lethal injection.Workman's guilt remains controversial and...
: He declined a special meal for himself, but he asked for a large vegetarian pizza to be given to a homeless person in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. This request was denied by the prison, but carried out by others across the country. - Ricky Ray RectorRicky Ray RectorRicky Ray Rector was executed for the 1981 murder of police officer Robert Martin in Conway, Arkansas....
: Steak, fried chicken, cherry Kool-Aid, and a pecan pie. He did not eat the pie because he said he was saving it for later. - Robert Alton HarrisRobert Alton HarrisRobert Alton Harris was an American career criminal and murderer who was executed in San Quentin's gas chamber in 1992. This marked the first execution in the state of California since 1967. Harris had killed two teenage boys in 1978...
: A 21-piece bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken, two large Domino's PizzaDomino's PizzaDomino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
s (no anchovies), ice cream, a bag of jelly beans, a six-pack of Pepsi, and a pack of Camel cigarettes. The pizza was actually from Tombstone PizzaTombstone (pizza)Tombstone is a brand of frozen pizza. It is available in several varieties, including pepperoni and sausage. The package design typically includes images of a cactus and the pizza.-History:...
, per the stipulation of Vernell Crittendon. - Ronald Clark O'BryanRonald Clark O'BryanRonald Clark O'Bryan was a murderer from Deer Park, Texas , who was convicted of killing his eight-year-old son Timothy on Halloween, 1974 with cyanide-laced Giant Pixy Stix candy in order to claim life insurance money...
's last meal request consisted of a T-bone steak (medium to well done), french fries with ketchup, whole kernel corn, sweet peas, a lettuce and tomato salad with egg and French dressing, iced tea, sweetener, saltines, Boston cream pie, and rolls. - Ronnie Lee GardnerRonnie Lee GardnerRonnie Lee Gardner was an American criminal who received the death penalty for murder in 1985, and was executed by firing squad by the state of Utah in 2010...
: Lobster tail, steak, apple pie, vanilla ice cream, 7-Up, and watching The Lord of the Rings film trilogyThe Lord of the Rings film trilogyThe Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
. - Stephen Wayne AndersonStephen Wayne AndersonStephen Wayne Anderson was an American murderer who was executed in California's San Quentin State Prison by lethal injection in 2002.-The crimes:...
: Two grilled cheese sandwiches, one pint of cottage cheeseCottage cheeseCottage cheese is a cheese curd product with a mild flavor. It is drained, but not pressed, so some whey remains and the individual curds remain loose. The curd is usually washed to remove acidity, giving sweet curd cheese. It is not aged or colored. Different styles of cottage cheese are made from...
, a hominyHominyHominy or nixtamal is dried maize kernels which have been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization.The English term hominy is derived from the Powhatan language word for maize. Many other Native American cultures also made hominy and integrated it into their diet...
/corn mixture, one piece of peach pie, one pint of chocolate chipChocolate chipChocolate chips are small chunks of chocolate. They are often sold in a round, flat-bottomed teardrop shape. They are available in numerous sizes, from large to miniature, but are usually around 1 cm in diameter.-Origin:...
ice creamIce creamIce cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
, and radishRadishThe radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that was domesticated in Europe, in pre-Roman times. They are grown and consumed throughout the world. Radishes have numerous varieties, varying in size, color and duration of required cultivation time...
es. - Teresa LewisTeresa LewisTeresa Wilson Bean Lewis was an American who was the only woman on death row in Virginia prior to her execution. She was sentenced to death by lethal injection for using sex and money to arrange for the murders of her husband and stepson in October 2002...
: Two fried chicken breasts, sweet peas with butterButterButter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
, a Dr PepperDr PepperDr Pepper is a soft drink, marketed as having a unique flavor. The drink was created in the 1880s by Charles Alderton of Waco, Texas and first served around 1885. Dr Pepper was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904 and is now also sold in Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, Australia ...
and German chocolate cakeGerman chocolate cakeIn US German chocolate cake, originally known as German's chocolate cake, is a layered chocolate cake filled and topped with a coconut-pecan frosting. It owes its name to American Sam German, who developed a brand of dark baking chocolate used for the cake. Sweet baking chocolate is traditionally...
for dessert. - Thomas J. GrassoThomas J. GrassoThomas J. Grasso was a 34-year-old white male executed by lethal injection at Oklahoma State Penitentiary, McAlester, Oklahoma USA on the March 20, 1995, for a double murder....
two dozen steamed mussels, two dozen steamed clams, a double cheeseburger from Burger KingBurger KingBurger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
, half-dozen barbecued spare ribs, two strawberry milkshakes, half a pumpkin pie with whipped cream with diced strawberries and a 16-ounce can of spaghetti with meatballs, served at room temperature. He later complained "I did not get my SpaghettiOsSpaghettiOsSpaghettiOs is an American brand of canned, sweetened spaghetti featuring circular pasta shapes in a cheese and tomato sauce — and marketed to parents as 'less messy' than regular spaghetti...
, I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this." - Victor FeguerVictor FeguerVictor Harry Feguer was a convicted murderer and the last federal inmate executed in the United States before the moratorium on the death penalty following Furman v. Georgia, and the last person put to death in the state of Iowa...
requested a single olive with the stone still in. - Wesley BakerWesley BakerWesley Eugene Baker was a convicted murderer executed by the U.S. state of Maryland. He was convicted for the June 6, 1991, murder of Jane Tyson in Catonsville. He was pronounced dead at 9:18 p.m...
: Breaded fish, pasta marinara, green beans, orange fruit punch, bread, and milk (this was what was on the prison menu that day).
See also
- Capital punishmentCapital punishmentCapital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
- Death rowDeath rowDeath row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
- Last SupperLast SupperThe Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
- Religion and capital punishmentReligion and capital punishmentMost major world religions take an ambiguous position on the morality of capital punishment. Religions are often based on a body of teachings and the standards of present-day Western civilization, and the Old Testament, as well as the Qur'an, contains many cases of criminals being executed...
Further reading
- Treadwell, Ty and Vernon, Michelle (2011) Last Suppers: Famous Final Meals from Death Row
External links
- Greene, Bob (2001-06-12). They didn't get to choose their last meals. Jewish World Review. Retrieved on 2007-08-17.
- Karon, Tony (2000-08-10). Why We're Fascinated by Death Row Cuisine. TIME Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-08-17.
- Stein, Joel (2007-10-18). You Eat What You Are. TIME Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- Famous Last Meals. Portraits of Last Requests. Retrieved on 2010-09-17.
- Final Meal Requests. Texas Department of Criminal Justice (2003-09-12). Archived from the original on 2003-12-02. Retrieved on 2011-03-17.
- Last Meals. rotten dot com. Retrieved on 2007-08-17.
- Last Meals: What Would You Order? Seattle WeeklySeattle WeeklySeattle Weekly is a freely distributed newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded by Darrell Oldham and David Brewster as The Weekly...
(June 18, 2010). Retrieved on 2010-06-24. - Last Meals on Death Row (since 2002). Dead Man Eating. Retrieved on 2007-08-17.
- Top 10 Death Row Last Meal Requests from Texas. Zombie Popcorn (October 9, 2008) Retrieved on 2010-09-29.