Strangest Last Meal Requests Ever Recorded On Death Row

In certain American states with capital punishment, condemned prisoners receive an unusual privilege. On the eve of their execution, convicted felons are given the privilege of selecting their last meal, provided it complies with certain rules. This centuries-old custom reveals surprising insights into human nature during life’s final moments. But which prisoner left prison officials most baffled? The top spot will blow your mind.

Victor Feguer

In 1963, Victor Feguer was executed by hanging for luring a doctor under false pretenses, then kidnapping and killing him to steal prescription drugs. His minimalist last meal request puzzled officials. Feguer asked for just one olive with the pit intact. After his death, guards discovered the pit in his suit pocket, leading many to believe he hoped an olive tree would sprout from his grave. But if one olive seems strange, wait until you hear what one prisoner requested from the candy aisle.

Gerald Lee Mitchell

Gerald Lee Mitchell took the saying “go out on a sugar high” quite literally. Convicted at 17 for a 1985 robbery-murder during a failed drug deal, Mitchell requested nothing but a bag of assorted Jolly Ranchers for his 2001 Texas execution. No steak dinner, no comfort food—just candy. He consumed the entire bag before his lethal injection, embracing sweetness until the very end. While Mitchell kept things simple, another inmate took the complete opposite approach with shocking consequences.

Lawrence Russel Brewer

Lawrence Russel Brewer, a white supremacist convicted of the brutal 1998 dragging death of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, Texas, ordered an absolutely massive spread in 2011: two fried chicken steaks, triple bacon cheeseburger, cheese omelet, three fajitas, pizza, fried okra, barbecued meat, peanut butter fudge, and ice cream. When this enormous feast arrived, Brewer refused every single bite. His stunt infuriated officials so much they abolished last meal requests statewide. But at least Brewer ordered food—one notorious serial killer had very specific brand loyalty.

John Wayne Gacy

Serial killer John Wayne Gacy, the infamous Killer Clown who murdered 33 young men and boys between 1972 and 1978, maintained his peculiar connection to fried chicken until the end. Before his 1994 execution, Gacy ordered shrimp, fries, strawberries, and a bucket of KFC original recipe. Having previously managed three KFC restaurants in Waterloo, Iowa, Gacy clearly never tired of that finger-licking goodness. His corporate loyalty stands in stark contrast to another prisoner who wanted something much stronger.

John Spenkelink

Food wasn’t everyone’s priority when facing death. Heavy drinker John Spenkelink, convicted of murdering a fellow drifter in 1973, declined any special meal preparation, requesting only a flask of Jack Daniels whiskey. He shared it with the prison superintendent in an oddly convivial final moment before his 1979 execution. Following Spenkelink’s death, Florida immediately revised policies to prohibit alcohol entirely. While Spenkelink wanted to go out drunk, another infamous killer wanted something far more mundane to fuel her delusions.

Aileen Wuornos

Serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who murdered seven men in Florida between 1989 and 1990, made an equally simple request before her 2002 execution: one cup of black coffee. Nothing more. Her minimalist choice reflected her bizarre belief in her imminent return. Wuornos’ last words were, “I’ll be back like Independence Day with Jesus June 6.” She never returned, of course. But at least Wuornos understood she was dying—one brain-damaged prisoner had a heartbreaking misunderstanding.

Ricky Ray Rector

Ricky Ray Rector, convicted of murdering a police officer in 1981, ordered steak, fried chicken, cherry Kool-Aid, and pecan pie—but left his dessert completely untouched. When guards questioned his uneaten pie, Rector calmly explained he was saving it for later. Brain damage from a self-inflicted gunshot had tragically impaired his understanding of execution’s finality. His response remains one of death row’s most haunting moments. Speaking of disturbing cases, one mass murderer’s simple dessert request seemed insultingly inadequate.

Timothy McVeigh

The Oklahoma City bomber’s final request surprised many given his crime’s devastating magnitude. Timothy McVeigh, responsible for the 1995 bombing that killed 168 people including 19 children, asked for just two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream before his 2001 execution. Nothing more. He consumed his frozen dessert alone in his windowless cell. For such heinous violence, many felt even this simple comfort seemed too generous. But one prisoner found a way to make his final meal bittersweet.

David Leon Woods

David Leon Woods, convicted of killing a man during a 1984 home invasion, spent 22 years on death row before his May 2007 execution. His final meal was touching yet tragic: pizza and an entire birthday cake, both shared with family. The heartbreaking twist? Woods’ actual birthday was three months after his scheduled execution date. His premature celebration represented one final chance to mark life’s milestones with loved ones. While Woods’ choice was sentimental, another inmate’s complaint became absolutely legendary.

Thomas Grasso

Thomas Grasso, convicted of strangling two elderly victims in separate states, ordered an elaborate 1995 meal including steamed clams, barbecued ribs, a Burger King double cheeseburger, strawberry milkshakes, and room-temperature SpaghettiOs. When prison staff accidentally served regular spaghetti instead, Grasso was absolutely furious. His dying words? “I did not get my SpaghettiOs, I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this.” He literally died complaining about incorrect pasta. But SpaghettiOs weren’t the strangest side dish ever requested.

Stephen Wayne Anderson

Before his 2002 California execution for murdering an elderly woman during a 1980 burglary, Stephen Wayne Anderson assembled a fairly normal menu: grilled cheese sandwiches, cottage cheese, hominy corn, peach pie, and chocolate chip ice cream. Then he added something completely bizarre—a large serving of radishes on the side. To this day, nobody understands why. Anderson’s unusual vegetable addition remains unexplained, though it pales in comparison to the sheer volume another inmate attempted to consume.

Peter Miniel

Peter Miniel, who confessed to murdering two cellmates in 1997, ordered perhaps death row’s most gargantuan feast in 2004. His request included 20 beef tacos, 20 beef enchiladas, two double cheeseburgers, jalapeño pizza, fried chicken, spaghetti, half chocolate and half vanilla cake, multiple ice cream flavors, fruitcake, and numerous beverages. The estimated calorie count exceeded 29,000 calories. Some wondered if Miniel hoped to literally explode before his execution. But elaborate doesn’t always mean exotic—one grandmother kept it surprisingly simple.

Velma Barfield

Velma Barfield became the first woman executed in America in 22 years when she died by lethal injection in 1982. Known as the Death Row Granny, this seemingly sweet, God-fearing grandmother had poisoned six people with arsenic, including her own mother and fiancé. Her final meal request? Just a packet of Cheez Doodles and a can of Coca-Cola. The stark contrast between her wholesome image and basic junk food perfectly captured death row’s bizarre contradictions. Another prisoner also loved fast food—but took it to another level.

Robert Alton Harris

Why pick one restaurant when you can order from several? Robert Alton Harris, convicted of murdering two teenage boys in 1978, clearly asked himself this in 1992, requesting a 21-piece KFC bucket, two large Domino’s pizzas, six-pack of Pepsi, ice cream, jelly beans, and Camel cigarettes. His philosophical final words proved equally memorable: “You can be a king or a street sweeper, but everybody dances with the Grim Reaper.” While Harris’ meal took hours to consume, one prisoner stretched his even longer.

Ronnie Lee Gardner

Ronnie Lee Gardner, convicted of murdering an attorney during a 1985 courthouse escape attempt, requested surf and turf—steak, lobster tail, apple pie with vanilla ice cream, and 7-Up—before his 2010 execution. But he added an extraordinary request: permission to watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy while eating. Prison officials surprisingly agreed. With over 11 hours of combined runtime, Gardner’s movie marathon made his the longest last meal in death row history. While Gardner indulged himself, one prisoner’s request was remarkably selfless.

Philip Workman

Philip Workman, convicted of killing a police officer during a 1981 restaurant robbery, made a 2007 request that stood completely apart from typical death row indulgence. Instead of feeding himself, Workman asked for a large vegetarian pizza delivered to a homeless person. Prison officials denied his selfless request, so he ate nothing. However, when people nationwide heard his story, they delivered hundreds of vegetarian pizzas to Tennessee homeless shelters. Workman’s final wish ultimately succeeded through public compassion. Another prisoner also refused food—but for very different reasons.

Angel Nieves Diaz

Angel Nieves Diaz, convicted of murdering a bar manager during a 1979 robbery, deliberately rejected special meal privileges for his 2006 execution. He refused to order anything, accepting the regular Wednesday prison menu: turkey with taco seasoning, rice, beans, tortillas, and dessert. Then Diaz refused even that, eating absolutely nothing. His final words condemned capital punishment as both vengeful and cowardly. By starving himself, Diaz used his meal refusal to protest execution itself rather than accepting comfort. Speaking of bread-heavy choices, one prisoner’s sandwich selection inspired terrible puns.

Oba Chandler

Oba Chandler, convicted of murdering a mother and her two daughters in 1989, kept things relatively simple but carb-loaded for his 2011 execution. He ordered two salami sandwiches on white bread with mustard and peanut butter, plus a grape jelly sandwich on white bread, with iced tea and coffee. His bread-heavy request prompted observers to note another criminal had “bit the crust.” Chandler’s straightforward sandwich selection lacked elaborate planning, unlike another prisoner who demonstrated seriously expensive taste.

Robert Dale Conklin

Robert Dale Conklin, convicted of murdering a man in 1984, went out in style with the most refined menu imaginable. He requested filet mignon wrapped in bacon, shrimp sautéed in garlic butter with lemon, loaded baked potato, corn on the cob, asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, French bread, goat cheese, cantaloupe, vanilla bean ice cream, and iced tea. His restaurant-quality surf-and-turf feast represented one of death row’s most sophisticated and expensive meals ever recorded. But nothing compares to the absolute strangest request ever made.

James Edward Smith

James Edward Smith, convicted of murdering an insurance executive’s wife during a 1983 robbery, wanted something absolutely no one expected for his 1990 execution: a lump of rhaeakunda dirt. The self-proclaimed voodoo priest believed this specific soil would help perform a ritual to prevent his spirit from becoming a ghost after death. Prison officials immediately denied this bizarre request, as dirt obviously wasn’t approved food. Smith settled for yogurt instead—making his forced alternative perhaps equally strange.