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imagine being on death row, with your final hours ticking away. what would you choose for your very last meal on earth? would it be a steak, 6 pounds of ice cream, and 4 lobster tails, and 12 pizzas? that's not even the weirdest request. in today's article, we're looking at the craziest last meals of prisoners on death row.
but before we dive into the wildest last meal requests, there are some things you should know about these very peculiar restaurants. you might be thinking you can order what you want, so what about a $200 piece of japanese kobe beef and some caviar on the side? perhaps washed down with a bottle of dom perignon. unfortunately, the american prison system doesn’t show that kind of largesse. there is a limit as to how much you can spend, and that varies wildly from state to state. for instance, florida is apparently quite kind, giving prisoners a $40 budget but in tight-fisted oklahoma you only get $15.
worse still is texas, which in 2011 got rid of the last meal all together and told the condemned that regular prison food will have to do. come on texas, where’s your heart? guess which state has the most executions, too? yep, it’s texas. since 2012, 84 folks have met their maker with only a belly-full of standard issue prison slop.
but let's get back to the crazy last meals. some prisoners have requested bizarre combinations of food, like a man who wanted a dozen buttermilk biscuits, two fried chickens, three pints of ice cream, and a six-pack of dr. pepper. another prisoner requested a bucket of fried chicken, a dozen buttermilk biscuits, two pints of ice cream, and a six-pack of dr. pepper. it seems that dr. pepper is a popular choice among death row prisoners.
but the craziest last meal request goes to a man who wanted a single olive with the pit still inside. he didn't eat it, but instead asked that it be planted in his memory. another prisoner requested a single grape, which he also didn't eat.
it's hard to imagine what goes through a person's mind when they're facing their final moments. but for some, the last meal is a chance to indulge in their favorite foods one last time. for others, it's a chance to make a statement or leave a lasting impression. whatever the reason, the last meal is a unique and often bizarre part of the death row experience.
if you're curious about the history of death row and the last meal tradition, check out these links:
the saddest historical documents
presidio la bahia: a 300-year-old fort in goliad, texas
wwii paratroopers escape from german prison
until next time, stay curious and keep exploring the weird and wonderful world of last meals on death row.
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