Last Meal Requests Ordered By Criminals

When it comes to the most infamous criminals in the world, there is often so much that we want to know about them. Why did they commit horrific crimes? What made them the way they are? How did they spend their final moments?

It turns out we can get the answers to some of those questions. After all, the last meal requests ordered by criminals give us a little glimpse into how they spent their final moments on Earth before they served the ultimate punishment.

Aileen Wuornos refused a final meal and opted for a cup of coffee instead

• Date of Crimes: 1989 - 1990
• Date of Execution: October 9, 2002
• Last Meal Request: Coffee

The most infamous female criminal of all time might just be Aileen Wuornos. From 1989 to 1990, Wuornos shot and ended the lives of seven men while she worked as a lady of the night, claiming they tried to assault her and it was all in self-defense. However, the jury didn’t buy it, and she received six capital punishments.

Wuornos was first arrested in 1991 and eventually faced her final trial in 1993. Less than a decade later, in 2002, it was time for Wuornos to pay for her crimes, with the prison offering her any last meal under $20. However, Wuornos refused and merely chose a cup of coffee before her execution on October 9, 2002.

Ted Bundy was given the standard final meal of the time when he refused to choose one

• Date of Crimes: 1974 - 1978
• Date of Execution: January 24, 1989
• Last Meal Request: Nothing

Leaving such a trail of destruction, escaping from prison, and ending the lives of at least 30 victims - although the total number is still debated and could be higher - made Ted Bundy one of the most infamous criminals of all time. After several trials and many more appeals, Bundy was sentenced to three capital punishments.

His execution date came on January 24, 1989, but once again, Bundy refused to choose a final meal. Instead, he was handed the standard meal for people in his position: over-easy eggs, hash browns, medium-rare steak, toast, juice, butter, milk, coffee, and jelly. However, Bundy refused to eat a bite before his time meeting the electric chair.

Robert Alton Harris had a huge feast for his final meal, including KFC, Domino’s pizza, and ice cream

• Date of Crimes: July 5, 1978
• Date of Execution: April 21, 1992
• Last Meal Request: Domino’s pizza, KFC, jelly beans, ice cream, and Pepsi

San Diego was gripped by the crimes of two men in 1978, and one was none other than Robert Alton Harris. The criminal had been on the wrong side of the law since he was ten years old and was abandoned by his mother at 14, but things took a turn when he ended the lives of two teenagers.

Harris and his brother stole a car with two 16-year-old boys inside before ending their lives and using the vehicle for their bank robbery. Before his execution on April 21, 1992, Harris had a feast of a last meal made of a six-pack of Pepsi, jelly beans, ice cream, two large Domino’s pizzas, and a 21-piece KFC bucket.

Stanley Tookie Williams III only got to eat oatmeal and drink milk after he refused a final meal

• Date of Crimes: February 1979 - March 1979
• Date of Execution: December 13, 2005
• Last Meal Request: Oatmeal and milk

Even if you have never had anything to do with gangs, there’s a good chance you might’ve heard of the Crips. After all, they’re one of the most prominent gangs in LA, and it was all started by Stanley Tookie Williams III and Raymond Washington. The pair formed an alliance in 1971 with the first major African-American street gang.

However, Williams’ time leading the Crips ended in 1979 when he was arrested for the ending of four people’s lives during two separate robberies. The highly publicized trial resulted in Williams getting handed capital punishment. Although he initially refused a last meal, the former gang leader did eat some oatmeal and drink milk before his execution.

Thomas J. Grasso used his final words to express his displeasure with his final meal

• Date of Crimes: 1990 - 1991
• Date of Execution: March 20, 1995
• Last Meal Request: Steamed clams, steamed mussels, SpaghettiOs, a Burger King cheeseburger, pumpkin pie, strawberry milkshake, and strawberries

Ending the lives of 87-year-old Hilda Johnson and 81-year-old Leslie Holtz shook New York, and it wasn’t long before Thomas J. Grasso was arrested and confessed to the crimes. He was ultimately sentenced to capital punishment, with that moment coming on March 20, 1995. However, Grasso’s final meal might not have been to his taste.

The criminal ordered two dozen steamed clams with lemon, two dozen steamed mussels, a Burger King double cheeseburger, half a dozen BBQ spare ribs, half a pumpkin pie with whipped cream, two strawberry milkshakes, and diced strawberries. He also ordered a can of SpaghettiOs, but used his last words to declare, “I did not get my SpaghettiOs, I got spaghetti.”

Philip Workman wanted to use his last meal to help the homeless, but his request was denied

• Date of Crimes: August 5, 1981
• Date of Execution: May 9, 2007
• Last Meal Request: A vegetarian pizza donated to a homeless person

At 28 years old, Philip Workman was living with his wife and their eight-year-old daughter, but there was a dark side to the former soldier. It turned out Workman was addicted to illegal substances and decided one night in 1981 to rob a Wendy’s restaurant with a weapon. Sadly, that’s where it all went wrong.

When officers arrived, Workman attempted to flee but ended up shooting and ending the life of Lieutenant Ronald Oliver. He was handed capital punishment, but Workman refused to have a final meal in 2007. Instead, he asked that a vegetarian pizza be donated to a homeless person. The prison refused, but others across the nation fulfilled Workman's request.

Allen Lee Davis ordered a particularly seafood-heavy last meal before his execution

• Date of Crimes: May 11, 1982
• Date of Execution: July 8, 1999
• Last Meal Request: Fried clams, fried shrimp, fried potatoes, garlic bread, lobster tail, and A&W root beer

Nancy Weiler was three months pregnant when someone beat her so severely that reports claim her remains were “almost beyond recognition.” In total, Nancy was hit over 25 times in the face and head, but that wasn’t all. Allen Lee Davis - who was convicted of the horrific crime - also ended the lives of Nancy’s two young daughters.

Davis chose a grand last meal of garlic bread, six ounces of fried clams, half a pound of fried shrimp, fried potatoes, a lobster tail, and 32 ounces of A&W root beer. However, Davis became the last person executed by the electric chair in Florida, as many claimed he was still alive when Old Sparky was turned off. 

Marion Albert Pruett ordered a huge feast of a last meal to allegedly share with another inmate

• Date of Crimes: March 1981 - October 1981
• Date of Execution: April 12, 1999
• Last Meal Request: Large french fries, four Burger King Whoppers, a Pizza Hut stuffed crust pizza, a bottle of ketchup, a bucket of ice, fried eggplant, fried okra, fried squash, salt, three two-liter bottles of Pepsi, and a pecan pie

In 1979, Marion Albert Pruett was given a new name - Sonny Pearson - and $800 following his testimony about a federal prison crime. However, the new name merely gave Pruett a chance to commit his crime spree without being recognized. In the end, Pruett ended at least five people’s lives across four states: Arkansas, Colorado, Mississippi, and New Mexico.

However, it was his last meal request that got so many people talking. Initially, Pruett claimed he was going to order a roast duck but was worried the prison wouldn’t prepare it properly. Instead, he ordered a feast including burgers, pizza, fried food, and fries, stating he planned on sharing it with another inmate receiving capital punishment the same day.

Ángel Nieves Díaz refused to eat the standard prison meal when he declined a last meal

• Date of Crimes: December 29, 1979
• Date of Execution: December 13, 2006
• Last Meal Request: Nothing

Escaping from prison in Puerto Rico, where he was arrested and charged with ending someone's life, Ángel Nieves Díaz had little choice but to go on the run. He eventually ended up in Florida, but once here, Díaz was accused of ending the life of a gentlemen's club owner in 1979 and was sentenced to capital punishment.

While Díaz always claimed he was innocent, others believe he could have ended even more lives. Perhaps that's why he refused a last meal request? Instead, Díaz was given the standard prison meal for the day: shredded turkey with taco seasoning, rice, pinto beans, shredded cheese, tortilla shells, iced tea, and apple crisp, but Díaz refused to eat anything.

Velma Barfield opted for a simple last meal of Cheez Doodles and Coca-Cola

• Date of Crimes: 1969 - 1978
• Date of Execution: November 2, 1984
• Last Meal Request: Cheez Doodles and Coca-Cola

Although she was arrested and charged with ending one person’s life, Velma Barfield ultimately confessed to ending as many as six people’s lives in total. She was also the first woman to receive capital punishment after it was brought back in 1976 and the first woman to receive an injection as the form of ending her life.

Being the only woman sentenced to capital punishment at the time meant they didn’t have a particular unit for Barfield, something that has since changed in North Carolina. However, Barfield refused a special final meal before her November 1984 execution. Instead, she ate a bag of Cheez Doodles and one 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola to wash them down.

Dobie Gillis Williams went for an all-sweet meal for his last meal in 1999

• Date of Crimes: July 6/July 7, 1984
• Date of Execution: January 8, 1999
• Last Meal Request: Ice cream and 12 chocolate bars

When it comes to capital punishment cases that have got people talking, Dobie Gillis Williams is certainly up there. He was convicted of ending Sonya Knippers' life after breaking into her home and stabbing her repeatedly, with Sonya later passing away in her husband’s arms. However, many claim he could have never committed the crimes.

As well as being intellectually disabled, Williams’ lawyer was later disbarred, and it’s said there was no recorded confession. After several appeals and having the sentence overturned, Williams was eventually executed in January 1999. For his final meal, Williams merely requested ice cream and 12 chocolate bars, using his last words to claim he had no “hard feelings against anybody.”

Bruno Richard Hauptmann had a selection of vegetables and sweet treats as his last meal

• Date of Crimes: March 1, 1932
• Date of Execution: April 3, 1936
• Last Meal Request: Stuffed green olives, french fries, celery, roast chicken, buttered peas, a slice of white cake, and cherries

It didn’t take long after the crime was committed for Bruno Richard Hauptmann to have his life ended. Hauptmann was a German immigrant who was looking to start a new life in the US but was ultimately accused of being the one behind the Lindbergh Kidnapping - a crime that was quickly dubbed the “Crime of the Century.”

The body of the 20-month-old son of legendary pilot Charles Lindbergh being found saw Hauptmann become the prime suspect, something he has long denied and many have argued is impossible. Whatever the case, he was executed just weeks after his trial, asking for the likes of olives, celery, cake, and cherries for his final meal.

Wanda Jean Allen requested a simple last meal of a bag of chips

• Date of Crimes: December 2, 1988
• Date of Execution: January 11, 2001
• Last Meal Request: A bag of chips

Before Wanda Jean Allen was arrested and charged with ending Gloria Jean Leathers’ life, she had actually shot and ended the life of her girlfriend, Dedra Pettus, the year before. She claimed that it was an accident, with Allen ultimately serving two years for the crime. That changed the following year when she shot her new girlfriend, Gloria.

The prosecution claimed she was a liar, while the defense stated she was mentally challenged. Whatever the case, Allen lost her life in January 2001, but not before she had her final meal of a bag of chips. According to the members of Dedra and Gloria’s families, seeing Allen lose her life brought them “closure.”

Walter Bernhard LaGrand included antacids in his last meal request, possibly due to the size

• Date of Crimes: January 7, 1982
• Date of Execution: March 3, 1999
• Last Meal Request: 16 bacon strips, hash browns, six over-easy eggs, a well-done breakfast steak, a pint of pineapple sherbert, a can of 7 Up, a can of Coca-Cola, a can of Dr Pepper, a cup of ice, hot sauce, two packs of sugar, a cup of coffee, and four Rolaids

Walter Bernhard LeGrand might not have been alone in his crime, but that didn’t stop him from being sentenced to capital punishment as a result. Together with his brother, Walter was convicted of ending the life of 63-year-old Kenneth Hartsock during an armed robbery, with the pair stabbing him 24 times with a letter opener.

Although there have been questions about whether or not the LaGrand brothers were given proper representation, that didn’t stop Walter from ordering a huge last meal. Among the order were things like 16 strips of bacon, a large serving of hash browns, several cans of soda, eggs, a breakfast steak, hot sauce, coffee, and four Rolaids to wash it down.

Karl-Heinz LaGrand has a last meal order just as large as his older brother’s

• Date of Crimes: January 7, 1982
• Date of Execution: February 24, 1999
• Last Meal Request: Two BLT sandwiches with mayonnaise, four over-easy fried eggs, two breakfast rolls with strawberry jelly, hash browns, a cup of coffee, a cup of milk, half a pint of pineapple sherbert, and German chocolate cake with coconut-caramel icing

Much like his brother, Karl-Heinz LaGrand was the other half of the duo that ended the life of Kenneth Hartsock in 1982. Sadly, the pair also severely injured 20-year-old Dawn Lopez by stabbing her multiple times too, but she managed to survive. In the end, Karl-Heinz was sentenced to capital punishment, losing his life just before his brother.

It seems their crime wasn’t the only thing the LaGrand brothers had in common, as Karl-Heinz also had a huge order for his last meal. This included two BLT sandwiches made on white bread and served with mayonnaise, four over-easy eggs, breakfast rolls, hash browns, coffee, milk, pineapple sherbet, and a medium slice of German chocolate cake.

Victor Feguer wanted his grave to become a symbol of peace after he was executed

• Date of Crimes: July 11, 1960
• Date of Execution: March 15, 1963
• Last Meal Request: A single olive with a pit

One of the more unusual cases from Iowa was when Victor Feguer ended the life of Dr. Edward Bartels. The doctor’s body was found in Illinois before Feguer was later arrested in Alabama, with the fact he crossed state lines earning him capital punishment. Apparently, Feguer wanted access to the doctor’s medication, but he claimed something else.

Feguer states a narcotics addict ended the doctor’s life, and Feguer then ended the addict’s life before dumping the body, but this was never proven. For his last meal, Feguer ordered just a single olive with a pit. He kept the pit in his pocket when he was hung, with the criminal thinking the eventual tree would symbolize peace.

Alton Coleman ordered a host of fried meats and various vegetables to go alongside his cherry Coca-Cola

• Date of Crimes: June 1984 - July 1984
• Date of Execution: 
• Last Meal Request: Well-done filet mignon covered in mushrooms, salad with French dressing, fried chicken breast, french fries, collard greens, sweet potato pie, cornbread, onion rings, broccoli with melted cheese, biscuits with gravy, and a cherry Coca-Cola

Just a few days after Alton Coleman ended the life of his final victim with the help of his girlfriend, Debra Brown, he was caught and charged with a host of crimes. In the end, he was found guilty of ending at least eight people’s lives in various states, including nine-year-old Vernita Wheat and seven-year-old Tamika Turks.

Coleman was handed three capital punishment sentences, but they were later reduced in two states. Still, it was Ohio that served Colemam his huge final meal, which included things like a well-done filet mignon that was slathered in mushrooms, fried chicken, broccoli with melted cheese, and a can of cherry Coca-Cola to wash it all down.

Gary Carl Simmons Jr. ordered a 29,000-calorie feast but couldn’t finish his last meal

• Date of Crimes: August 11, 1996
• Date of Execution: June 20, 2012
• Last Meal Request: A Pizza Hut Super Supreme Deep Dish pizza with mushrooms, jalapenos, pepperoni, and onions; a pizza with three cheeses, garlic, Italian sausage, tomato, bell pepper, and olives; 10 eight-ounce Parmesan cheese packets, Nacho Cheese Doritos, ten eight-ounce packs of ranch, super-size McDonald’s fries with mayonnaise and ketchup, sliced jalapenos, jalapeno nacho cheese, two 20-ounce cherry Coca-Colas, two strawberry milkshakes, and two pints of strawberry ice cream

Gary Carl Simmons Jr. was working as a grocery store butcher, which proved to help with his crimes. He was with Timothy Milano when a narcotics dealer and his girlfriend came to collect a $20,000 debt from the pair. However, Simmons and Milano didn’t have the money, so they ended the dealer’s life and kidnapped and assaulted his girlfriend.

When Simmons and Milano used the former’s butcher skills to cut up the dealer’s body, his girlfriend escaped and called the police. Milano was sentenced to life, while Simmons received a capital punishment sentence. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Simmons didn’t finish eating his 29,000-calorie meal - including pizza, chips, french fries, ice cream, and ice cream - before his execution.

Ronald Clark O’Bryan was very specific with his T-bone steak and sides request

• Date of Crimes: October 31, 1974
• Date of Execution: March 31, 1984
• Last Meal Request: Medium to well-done T-bone steak, whole kernel corn, french fries and ketchup, tomato and lettuce salad with French dressing and sliced egg, sweet peas, saltines, Boston cream pie, rolls, iced tea, and sweetener

They say that we should be careful of the Candyman, but what about the real-life Halloween horror that was Ronald Clark O’Bryan? In 1974, O’Bryan took potassium cyanide and used it to lace various Pixy Stix that he then handed out to multiple children as they went trick-or-treating. However, it was all to get O’Bryan’s eight-year-old son, Timothy.

Apparently, O’Bryan wanted to claim the life insurance, but he was charged with attempting to end four other children’s lives, too, before he was sentenced to capital punishment. O’Bryan continued to claim he merely made a mistake, but that didn’t stop him from ordering a huge and varied final meal of T-bone steak and Boston cream pie.

William Bonin requested a lot of soda as his final meal behind bars

• Date of Crimes: 1979 - 1980
• Date of Execution: February 23, 1996
• Last Meal Request: Two sausage and pepperoni pizzas, chocolate ice cream, and three six-packs of Pepsi and Coca-Cola

Earning the nickname the Freeway Strangler might hint toward what William Bonin did for over a year. The infamous criminal tormented California by assaulting, torturing, and ending the lives of at least 21 young boys and men before dumping their remains along multiple freeways throughout the state. However, the actual number could be much higher.

Although he initially claimed he was innocent, Bonin did eventually confess to the crimes through multiple interviews and was sentenced to multiple capital punishments as a result. Before his execution, Bonin told a radio he “made peace” with the fact he was about to lose his life and enjoyed two large pizzas, ice cream, and several cans of soda.

James Edward Smith had to settle for a yogurt when his final meal of dirt was denied

• Date of Crimes: March 7, 1983
• Date of Execution: June 26, 1990
• Last Meal Request: A lump of dirt

In perhaps one of the strangest last meal requests of all time, James Edward Smith actually asked for a lump of dirt for his final meal. Ultimately, the request was denied, but it did see the criminal reach unbelievable heights of fame when the world learned about his strange last meal wish. However, the prison wasn’t budging.

Smith was handed a capital murder sentence after he took part in an armed robbery. Even though he got his hands on the money, Smith shot 44-year-old Larry Don Rohus and ultimately ended his life. As a lump of dirt wasn’t on the prison’s approved list of food, Smith was instead given a plain yogurt as his last meal.

Keith Eugene Wells wanted something luxurious as his last meal

• Date of Crimes: December 20, 1990
• Date of Execution: January 6, 1994
• Last Meal Request: Well-done prime rib, lobster, salad with onions and tomatoes, two apple fritters, two pints of ice cream a two-liter bottle of soda, and half a gallon of milk

When a customer entered the Rose Pub in Idaho, they couldn’t see anyone around but soon found two bodies when looking for someone working there. They had both been bludgeoned, with police initially thinking it was a robbery. Keith Eugene Wells was eventually arrested and charged with ending both of their lives four months after the crime.

Wells continually changed his story but tried to take his own life when he realized he could spend the rest of his life in prison. Ultimately, Wells didn’t fight his capital punishment and lost his life less than two years after his sentence. Before he went, Wells enjoyed a rather luxurious last meal consisting of lobster and steak.

Gary Gilmore managed to include an illegal beverage as a part of his last meal request

• Date of Crimes: July 19, 1976, and July 20, 1976
• Date of Execution: January 17, 1977
• Last Meal Request: A baked potato, hard-boiled eggs, a hamburger, coffee, and three shots of drink

Amazingly, it took just a few months from the crimes to the date Gary Gilmore lost his life to a firing squad in 1977. He was actually the first criminal to be sentenced to capital punishment in almost ten years after it was abolished in 1972. That was as a result of ending two people’s lives on consecutive nights.

In the build-up to the execution, Gilmore had the sentence stayed several times, sometimes just hours before it was meant to take place. Even though he requested a pretty standard final meal before his execution, Gilmore did request three shots of a particular beverage that was illegal at the time - and seemingly got his wish.

Susanna Margaretha Brandt refused a giant last meal in favor of a glass of water

• Date of Crimes: August 1, 1771
• Date of Execution: January 14, 1772
• Last Meal Request: A glass of water

Growing up as an orphan was just the start of the tragedy that was Susanna Margaretha Brandt’s life. She worked at a hostel in Frankfurt during the 1700s, where Brandt was allegedly given a tainted drink by a journeyman goldsmith before she was assaulted. As a result, Brandt fell pregnant, but continually hid this from everyone.

Eventually, Brandt secretly gave birth, but when the baby fell on his head, she says she panicked and ended his life. Initially, Brandt was offered cabbage, 12 pounds of lamb, six pounds of carp, ten pounds of beef, three pounds of bratwurst, bread, and eight liters of drink, but turned it down for water. Instead, officials ate her final meal.

Frank Jarvis Atwood changed his mind about his last meal after previously claiming he was fasting

• Date of Crimes: September 17, 1984
• Date of Execution: June 8, 2022
• Last Meal Request: Nothing

For years, it looked as though there would never be justice for Vicki Lynne Hoskinson. She was eight years old when she was abducted on September 17, 1984, before her body was found seven months later. Frank Jarvis Atwood had been spotted in the area, and despite having no physical evidence, he was arrested ten days after Vicki’s appearance.

However, Frank continually appealed his guilty verdict and capital punishment, meaning he spent almost four decades in prison before his execution. Initially, Atwood requested nothing for his last meal, stating he was fasting. However, he eventually changed his mind and accepted peanut butter, tortilla chips, salami, wheat bread, mustard, salami, and water with a juice packet.

Teresa Lewis requested a simple last meal of fried chicken and apple pie

• Date of Crimes: October 30, 2002
• Date of Execution: September 23, 2010
• Last Meal Request: Fried chicken breast, sweet peas and butter, apple pie, and Dr Pepper

Being the first female criminal to lose her life by injection in Virginia in 2010 wasn’t the only thing Teresa Lewis had to her name, as she was also the last woman executed in the state before capital punishment was abolished. This was all for asking her two new boyfriends to end the lives of her husband and stepson.

Lewis had been intimate with a 21-year-old and 19-year-old and convinced them both to sneak into her trailer and end the pair’s lives while they were sleeping in a bid to get the life insurance payout. Lewis’ final words were apologizing to her stepdaughter after she had a simple last meal of fried chicken breast followed by apple pie.

Richard Cooey requested his final meal was filled with home comforts

• Date of Crimes: September 1, 1986
• Date of Execution: October 14, 2008
• Last Meal Request: Onion rings, four over-easy eggs, T-bone steak with A-1 sauce, butter and toast, hash browns, rocky road ice cream, bear claw pastries, and Mountain Dew

To start, Richard Cooey and his two friends were throwing concrete blocks for a bridge when one struck a car with two women inside. However, the group then kidnapped the women before Cooey was involved with assaulting and torturing the pair for three and a half hours until they ultimately ended their lives, eventually carving an ‘X’ into their abdomens.

The group all blamed one another for the crimes, but Cooey was the only one sentenced to capital punishment due to his age. Throughout his time in prison, Cooey gained fame for arguing that he was too obese - weighing over 275 pounds - to be executed. Ultimately, they disagreed, and he had steak and sides for his final meal.

Ronnie Lee Gardner also requested a Lord of the Rings marathon to go with his final meal

• Date of Crimes: 1984 - 1985
• Date of Execution: June 18, 2010
• Last Meal Request: Steak, lobster, apple pie, vanilla ice cream and 7 Up

To start, Ronnie Lee Gardner received life imprisonment for ending someone’s life during a robbery. However, shooting an attorney and ending his life while trying to unsuccessfully escape from prison earned Gardner capital punishment. The problem? The number of appeals meant his case spent almost 25 years in the system, leading Utah to introduce new legislation.

After ordering the likes of steak and lobster for his last meal, Gardner requested apple pie with vanilla ice cream and 7 Up to finish his meal. Amazingly, he also asked to watch the fantasy ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy during his meal. We’re not sure if he managed all 9 hours and 18 minutes before he was executed.

John Fautenberry made several specific requests for bread and toast

• Date of Crimes: 1990 - 1991
• Date of Execution: July 14, 2009
• Last Meal Request: Two sunny-side-up eggs, fried bologna, two slices of buttered wheat toast, fried potatoes, lettuce and mayonnaise, four slices of wheat bread, four slices of tomato, two packages of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and three Musketeers bars

It didn’t take long after he was arrested for people to notice a pattern in John Fautenberry’s crimes. He befriended five people across the states between 1990 and 1991 before ending all of their lives. The twist? After he was arrested, Fautenberry admitted to ending another person’s life in 1984, even though someone else was charged with the crime.

Much like his crimes, Fautenberry’s last meal also a theme, as the criminal ordered several types of bread and toast as a part of the request. Alongside all of this, Fautenberry also requested fried potatoes and bologna, as well as two sunny-side-up eggs and several candies to complete his last meal before July 14, 2009.

Walter Moody declined a last meal and opted instead to share a private meal with his friends and attorneys

• Date of Crimes: 1972 - 1989
• Date of Execution: April 19, 2018
• Last Meal Request: Nothing

His first crime might have been in 1972, but Walter Moody wasn’t caught until 1990. In that time, he ended the lives of two people and injured two more. In fact, Moody was the one behind the assassination of Judge Robert Vance after he sent a makeshift pipe bomb to the judge's house in 1989.

His other crimes earned Moody seven life terms, but taking Vance’s life saw him get capital punishment. When asked, Moody declined a special meal from prison, but he did share a bag of chips, two Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, an almond Hershey bar, a bag of M&M’s, and two Dr Peppers with three friends and two attorneys.

Timothy McVeigh wanted nothing but mint chocolate chip ice cream for his final meal

• Date of Crimes: April 19, 1995
• Date of Execution: June 11, 2001
• Last Meal Request: Two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream

The Oklahoma City Bombing is a moment that so many will never forget. After all, it’s still the domestic act that ended the most lives in the history of the US, with the moment injuring over 680 people and ending the lives of another 168. Timothy McVeigh was the one to blame for the disaster.

He claims he was seeking revenge against the government over the 1993 Waco Siege, with McVeigh ultimately sentenced to capital punishment for the crime. Even with appeals, McVeigh’s execution happened considerably faster than most, but his request to have it televised was denied. What wasn’t denied was his last meal of two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Stanley Lingar wanted nothing more than corned beef sandwiches and french fries

• Date of Crimes: January 6, 1985
• Date of Execution: February 7, 2001
• Last Meal Request: French fries and corned beef sandwiches

Stanley Lingar was one-half behind the horrific ending of 16-year-old Thomas Allen’s life. They picked up the teen when he ran out of gas but ultimately ended his life when he refused to be intimate. After shooting him once, Lingar realized Thomas was still alive, so he shot him three more times. Sadly, things didn’t end there.

Thomas was still fighting, so Lingar used a tire iron to beat him, thinking it was over. When they noticed the teen was somehow still alive, they ran him over, collected his body, and covered their tracks. Ultimately, Lingar was sentenced to capital punishment, but not before he got his final meal of corned beef sandwiches served alongside french fries.

Billy Ray Irick didn’t hold back with his specific burger order for his final meal

• Date of Crimes: April 15, 1985
• Date of Execution: August 9, 2018
• Last Meal Request: A double bacon cheeseburger with mustard, mayonnaise, pickles, tomato, and lettuce; onion rings, Coca-Cola with a lime wedge, and a strawberry-banana milkshake

Many couldn’t believe it when they heard the news that Billy Ray Irick had ended seven-year-old Paula Dyer’s life in 1985. After all, Irick had been living with Paula’s family for over a year and was babysitting five children from the family on the night she lost her life. Sadly, she was assaulted and knocked unconscious before passing away.

Irick immediately confessed to ending the young girl’s life, with the criminal allegedly smiling and shrugging when he was sentenced to capital punishment. That didn’t stop him from ordering a huge last meal, consisting of a bacon cheeseburger with all the trimmings and a side of opinion rings, all washed down with a milkshake and Coca-Cola to drink.

Gilbert Postelle requested different types of chicken for his last meal, including sandwiches and nuggets

• Date of Crimes: May 30, 2005
• Date of Execution: February 17, 2022
• Last Meal Request: 20 chicken nuggets with honey mustard, BBQ, and ranch dips, three servings of french fries, a regular chicken sandwich, a crispy chicken sandwich, a caramel frappe, and soda

On Memorial Day in May 2005, Gilbert Postelle joined his brother, David, their father, Brad, and another man to end the lives of four people. Before the attack, Brad had been involved in a serious motorcycle crash and was left with brain injuries that caused him to have seizures. Apparently, that was the motive for the crime.

It’s said they believed one of the victims was responsible for the crash, even though there was no evidence against him. That didn’t stop Postelle from getting two capital punishment sentences for his involvement. Before his execution, Postelle requested a huge final meal made up mostly of various types of chicken and several sweet drinks.

Lawrence Russell Brewer saw Texas cancel all last meal requests moving forward

• Date of Crimes: June 7, 1998
• Date of Execution: September 21, 2011
• Last Meal Request: Chicken fried steaks with gravy and onions; a cheese omelet with ground beef, jalapenos, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes; a triple meat bacon cheeseburger with the fixings placed to one side; three fajitas with all the fixings; half a loaf of white bread with one pound of barbecue meat; fried okra with ketchup; a Meat Lovers pizza; a slab of peanut butter fudge topped with crushed peanuts; and one pint of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream

The ending of James Byrd Jr.’s life is one of the most horrific in the history of Texas. He was picked up by three men who knew him from around town, but instead of taking Byrd home, they decided to start torturing him. Lawrence Russell Brewer was one of the men who ultimately chained Byrd to their truck.

They dragged his body for three miles, with Byrd surviving most of it, before they dumped his remains. Brewer always stated he never had any regrets over the racially motivated crime and ordered a colossal last meal. However, when he didn’t eat any, saying he wasn’t hungry, Brewer immediately saw Texas refuse final meals going forward.

Stephen Wayne Anderson seemingly recreated his final meal from his last moment of freedom

• Date of Crimes: 1977 - 1980
• Date of Execution: January 29, 2002
• Last Meal Request: Two grilled cheese sandwiches, a hominy-corn mixture, one pint of cottage cheese, radishes, a pint of chocolate chip ice cream, and a slice of peach pie

It seems that food is something that’s always been a part of Stephen Wayne Anderson’s life. After all, it was looking for a snack that eventually saw him caught and sentenced to capital punishment. The moment came after he broke into an 81-year-old woman’s house on May 26, 1980. After cutting her phone line, Anderson ended her life.

However, robbery proved to be hungry work, as Anderson sat down with a snack made of things from the woman’s refrigerator before a concerned neighbor called the police, and he was arrested. Anderson’s last meal request was almost like something that could have been made from the leftovers he snacked on before he was caught and charged.

Charles Brooks Jr. had to choose steak for his last meal when shellfish wasn’t allowed

• Date of Crimes: December 14, 1976
• Date of Execution: December 7, 1982
• Last Meal Request: T-bone steak, french fries, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, peach cobbler, biscuits, and iced tea

Almost eight years to the date of the crime, Charles Brooks Jr. was executed. The offense that saw him behind bars came when Brooks teamed up with David Gregory to kidnap and end the life of a mechanic. However, neither would admit who pulled the trigger, so they sought capital punishment for both men, but Gregory’s sentence was overturned.

The same couldn’t be said for Brooks, who initially had other plans for his last meal. The criminal requested oysters and fried shrimp, but the prison chef stated that shellfish wasn’t an option. Instead, Brooks settled for steak and french fries with several sauces and a slice of peach cobbler with iced tea for dessert.

Joseph Rudolph Wood III wanted nothing more than two cookies for his final meal

• Date of Crimes: August 7, 1989
• Date of Execution: July 23, 2014
• Last Meal Request: Two cookies

Ending the life of his estranged girlfriend and her father ultimately earned Joseph Rudolph Wood II two capital punishment sentences, but there were so many parts of his case that resulted in him dominating the headlines. For one, there was the fact Wood merely requested two cookies as his final meal. That was far from the end of it all.

Little did anyone know that Wood’s last meal would come before one of the most horrific executions, with the entire thing taking almost two hours. Experts claim it should have lasted ten minutes. Instead, it’s reported Wood lay there gasping for air and snorting, with Arizona taking a look at its execution methods following the controversial procedure.

Joe Arridy didn’t understand that he wouldn’t be coming back for the rest of his ice cream

• Date of Crimes: August 14, 1936
• Date of Execution: January 6, 1939
• Last Meal Request: Ice cream

One of the most tragic things about Joe Arridy is that he has since been proven to have been falsely accused of the crime that cost him his life. Joe was accused of bludgeoning two girls, assaulting one of them, and ending one of their lives. However, he was severely mentally disabled and was likely coerced into confessing.

Prisoners long named Joe the happiest prisoner in their section, with the inmate even giving away his favorite train before his execution. Perhaps the saddest part is that Joe ordered ice cream as his final meal. When he was led to the gas chamber, Joe asked for his leftovers to be refrigerated so he could finish his ice cream later.

John Wayne Gacy didn’t forget about his days at KFC when requesting his final meal

• Date of Crimes: 1967 - 1978
• Date of Execution: May 10, 1994
• Last Meal Request: KFC, a dozen fried shrimp, french fries, strawberries, and Diet Coke

One thing people often forget about John Wayne Gacy is that he spent the beginning of his working career managing multiple KFC branches. That’s because his horrific crimes usually take that fact’s place. The criminal was eventually convicted of torturing and ending the lives of at least 33 young men and boys before burying most under his house.

However, his time at the fried chicken chain seemingly left an impact on the criminal, as Gacy ordered a bucket of KFC as a part of his last meal. That wasn’t all, as Gacy also requested a dozen fried shrimp and a side of french fries to go with his meal. That was all complete with strawberries and Diet Coke.