Dead Man Eating

Should inmates on death row receive a last meal? Regardless of your personal opinion, prisons across the United States offer inmates what they call a "special meal", which is generally, whatever the inmate desires. Some states have restrictions, for example, in Florida, the food for the last meal must be purchased locally and the cost is limited to $40.

I was intrigued after reading an story in The Los Angeles Times about the execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner by firing squad in Utah, yesterday. The last line of the article released by the Associated Press read, "Although officials had said he planned to fast after having his last requested meal Tuesday, Gardner drank a Coke and a Mountain Dew on Thursday night. His Tuesday meal consisted of steak, lobster tail, apple pie, vanilla ice cream and 7UP".

After doing a bit of research, I learned of some other famous and not-so-famous last meals...

Allen Lee Davis : a lobster tail, fried potatoes, half pound of fried shrimp, 6 ounces of fried clams, half a loaf of garlic bread and 32 ounces of A&W Rootbeer

Dobie Gillis Williams: 12 candy bars and some ice cream

James Edward Smith: requested a lump of dirt and was denied...he settled for a small cup of yogurt

Joan of Arc: Holy Communion (bread and wine)

Karl Eugene Chamberlain: a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, lunch meat, deviled eggs, 6 fried cheese-stuffed jalapeños, a chef salad with ranch dressing, onion rings, french fries, a cheeseburger, 2 fried chicken breasts, barbecue pork rolls, an omelet, milk, and orange juice.

Odell Barnes: Justice, Equality, World Peace

Ricky Ray Rector: steak, fried chicken, cherry Kool-Aid, and a pecan pie — which he did not eat, because he said he was saving it for later

Robert Alton Harris: 21-piece bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken, 2 large Domino's pizzas (no anchovies), ice cream, a bag of jelly beans, a six-pack of Pepsi, and a pack of Camel cigarettes

Timothy McVeigh: 2 pints of mint chocolate-chip ice cream.

Victor Feguer: requested a single olive with the pit still in

John Washington Hightower: 4 fried pork chops, collard greens with boiled okra and "boiling meat", fried corn, fried fatback, fried green tomatoes, cornbread, lemonade, one pint of strawberry ice cream and 3 glazed donuts.

Gilberto Reyes:  BBQ turkey legs and BBQ brisket, a bowl of cheddar cheese and avocados.

Charles Edward Smith: 9 tacos, 9 enchiladas, french fries, a salad with ranch dressing, beef fajitas, a bowl of picante sauce, a bowl of shredded cheese, 6 jalapeno peppers, a strawberry cake with strawberry frosting and 16 Pepsi's.



Gerald Mitchell: one bag of assorted Jolly Ranchers

Lewis Gilbert:  a half-gallon of vanilla ice cream, a box of assorted cones and a box of Whoppers.


Walter Lagrand: 6 fried eggs, 16 strips of bacon, one large serving of hash browns, a pint of pineapple sherbet, a breakfast steak, a cup of ice, 7-Up, Dr Pepper, Coke, hot sauce, coffee, two sugar packs. And, as a final item: 4 Rolaids.


 

 
...what would your last meal be?
 
Photos via The Last Supper Collection by UK Graphic Designer, James Reynolds.