Famous Last Meals

The last meal is a customary part of a condemned prisoner's last day. The day before the appointed time of execution, the prisoner will be given the meal, as well as religious rites, if he or she desires. As a general rule, inmates may not ask for an alcoholic drink as it dulls the senses.

In many countries the prisoner may have the luxury of selecting what the last meal will be (within reason), and the authorities do their best to provide a prisoner with the requested meal.

Adolf Eichmann: He declined a special meal, preferring a bottle of Carmel, a dry red Israeli wine. He drank about half of it.

Aileen Wuornos: She declined a special meal, but had a hamburger and other snack food from the prison's canteen. Later, she drank a cup of coffee.

Allen Lee Davis: 350-pound "Tiny" Davis had the following last meal: one lobster tail, fried potatoes, a half-pound of fried shrimp, six ounces of fried clams, half a loaf of garlic bread, and 32 ounces of A&W root beer.

Ángel Nieves Díaz: He declined a special meal. He was then served the regular prison meal for that day, but he declined that as well.

Bruno Richard Hauptmann: Celery, olives, chicken, french fries, buttered peas, cherries, and a slice of cake.

Dennis Wayne Bagwell: Medium rare steak with A1 Steak Sauce, 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 Carter: He 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 Williams: Twelve candy bars and some ice cream.

Edward Hartman: A Greek salad, linguini with white clam sauce, cheese cake with cherry topping, garlic bread, and a Coke.

Gary Gilmore: A hamburger, hard-boiled eggs, a baked potato, a few cups of coffee, and three shots of whiskey.

Gary M. Heidnik: Two slices of a cheese pizza and two cups of black coffee.

Henry Martinez Porter: Flour tortillas, T-bone steak, refried beans, tossed salad, jalapeño peppers, ice cream, and chocolate cake.

James Edward Smith: A lump of dirt, denied. Settled for a small cup of yogurt.

John Wayne Gacy: A dozen deep-fried shrimps, a bucket of original recipe chicken from KFC, French fries, and a pound of strawberries.

Karl Eugene Chamberlain: A variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, lunch meat, deviled, six fried cheese-stuffed jalapenos, a chef salad with ranch dressing, onion rings, french fries, a cheesburger, two fried chicken breasts, barbecue pork rolls, an omelet, milk and orange juice.

Karla Faye Tucker: Banana, peach, and garden salad with ranch dressing.

Mark Dean Schwab: fried eggs, bacon, sausage links, hash browns, buttered toast and a quart of chocolate milk .

Perry Smith and Richard Hickock: Shrimp, French fries, garlic bread, ice cream, and strawberries with whipped cream.

Philip Workman: He declined a special meal for himself, but he asked for a large vegetarial pizza to be given to a homeless person in Nashville, Tennessee. This request was denied.

Rainey Bethea: Fried chicken, pork chops, mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers, cornbread, lemon pie, and ice cream.

Ringer Edwards: chicken and beer. Edwards escaped execution as a Japanese prisoner of war when his meal request could not be obtained.

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

Ted Bundy: He 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 McVeigh: Two pints of mint chocolate-chip ice cream.

Velma Barfield: She declined a special meal, having a bag of Cheez Doodles and a can of Coca-Cola instead.

Victor Feguer: A single olive with the pit still in it.

Wesley Baker: Breaded fish, pasta marinara, green beans, orange fruit punch, bread, and milk (Maryland execution: this was what was on the prison menu that day).

William Bonin: Two pepperoni and sausage pizzas, three servings of chocolate ice cream, and fifteen cans of Coca-Cola.

Saddam Hussein: Unconfirmed - Sources say he ate boiled chicken and rice, and drank hot water with honey the day before his execution. The Times (UK) states that "he refused their offers of cigarettes and a last meal of chicken."