25 Strangest Last Meal Requests On Death Row

Giving prisoners a "last meal" before they are put to death is a custom that goes back a long time and varies from country to country, often showing how that country feels about the death penalty. The United States has a strange tradition called the "special meal" that happens one or two days before someone is put to death. Prisoners can't always get what they want, but some have asked for meals that are so strange or outrageous that they've become famous.

Here are 25 of the weirdest, funniest, and sometimes saddest things people have asked for their last meal from around the world.

25. A Birthday Wish for David Leon Woods

Woods didn't ask for anything fancy or out of the ordinary; he just wanted a birthday cake. What's the catch? He didn't even have a birthday. He might have just wanted to enjoy life one last time.

24. Andrew Lackey: An Very Odd Pair

Lackey chose an odd mix when he was put to death in Alabama in 2013: turkey bologna, French fries, and grilled cheese. Doesn't that sound like a last-minute fridge raid? Lol.

23. Ajmal Kasab: Tomatoes? Really?

Kasab refused a last meal because he was involved in the 2008 attacks in Mumbai. Instead, the jail gave him a basket of tomatoes. Did he love them, or was this a way to punish them with food? We have no idea.

22. Alton Coleman: A Crime in the Kitchen

Fried chicken, biscuits, and sweet potato pie were served at Coleman's feast. But what was his main weapon? A filet mignon that is well-done and covered in mushrooms. Steak done? That is a crime in and of itself.

21. Christopher Brooks: Easy Man

Brooks stayed simple with a Dr. Pepper and two peanut butter cups. Simple, sweet, and to the point.

20. Adolf Eichmann: Cheese and Wine

Along with the usual jail food of cheese, bread, and tea, the Holocaust architect asked for a bottle of Carmel red wine. Perhaps to try to calm down, he only drank half of the drink.

19. Roger Casement: A Solemn Sacrament

Casement, an Irish rebel, became a Catholic and asked for a communion wafer. It's not often that faith wins over greed.

18. Liddell Lee: Following suit

Lee made the same choice as Casement above and only asked for Holy Communion. He needs things to be as simple as possible.

17. Timothy McVeigh: Too Much Ice Cream

The bomber in Oklahoma City asked for two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream. That isn't a meal; it's a sugar high waiting to happen.

16. Robert Dale Conklin: Gourmet Gone Wrong

He had filet mignon covered in bacon, shrimp in garlic butter, asparagus, and goat cheese for dinner. That's cool until you remember that he killed someone with a screwdriver.

15. SpaghettiO-gate by Thomas J. Grasso

Mussels, clams, pie, and spaghetti were all on Grasso's huge order. But he said in public that he wanted SpaghettiOs instead of regular spaghetti. What the heck!

14. Killer Clown's Feast by John Wayne Gacy

The well-known "Killer Clown" picked fried shrimp, fries, a pound of strawberries, and a bucket of KFC chicken. Yes, a pound.

13. Steven Woods: A Bacon Bonanza

That was a lot of food for Woods to eat. He had two pounds of bacon, a pizza, fried chicken, ice cream, and more. It sounds like his order was a food challenge gone wrong.

12. Peter Jamie Neil: A One-Person Buffet

Neil ate 20 tacos, 20 enchiladas, pizza, fried chicken, and several cakes for dinner. Too much? Yes. Legendary? Yes, too.

11. Ricky Ray Rector: Putting It Off for Now

The rector asked for pecan pie, steak, and fried chicken. What's the twist? He told the guards that he was "saving it for later" so he didn't eat the pie.

10. Troy Davis: Words from the Prophet

As Davis was being put to death, he turned down a special meal and said, "This won't be my last meal."

9. Stephen Anderson: Who wants radishes?

Anderson picked out vegetables, peach pie, and grilled cheese. Radish, yes. A lot of them. A strange way to say goodbye.

8. Garry Pizza Party with Karl Simmons Jr.

Simmons got not one but two pizzas, along with drinks, sides, and treats. He was able to eat half of it. Really, really amazing.

7. Ronnie Lee Gardner: A movie and dinner

He asked for steak, lobster, and The Lord of the Rings series to go with it. That's right, the guard let him watch the whole thing. What a great way to say goodbye.

6. Victor Feguer: Always Olive You

Feguer's request was strange: a single olive with the pit still in it. The hole was buried with him after he was put to death.

5. Odell Barnes: A Respectable Request

Barnes did not ask for food. Instead, he asked for "world peace, justice, and equality." That's too bad the jail couldn't do that.

4. Lawrence Brewer: The Feast That Was Not Eaten

Brewer asked for a huge meal with steak, burgers, pizza, ice cream, and other things. When it got there, he refused to eat it, which is why Texas banned all special last meals.

3. Aileen Wuornos: It's Just Coffee

Wuornos didn't eat and instead had a coffee. She kept things simple because she was already full from a snack.

2. Phillip Workman: Pizza for a Cause

Workman turned down a meal and asked that a veggie pizza be given to the homeless instead. The jail said no, but his action moved many people to do what they could to help him.

1. James Edward Smith: Down in the Dirt

Smith's strange request was turned down? A piece of dirt. It wasn't a surprise that the jail told him no and gave him yogurt instead. What a strange alternative, from dirt to yogurt.

The last meal is an interesting tradition that shows a lot about the people and processes that make it work. These requests, which range from fancy spreads to touching acts, remind us of the humanity, even in the strangest ways, of those who are near their end.