"It's just like putting gas in a car that doesn't have a motor," Brent Cunningham wrote in Lapham's quarterly. He was describing his thoughts on the last meal that most Death Row inmates are entitled to. To many, it does seem illogical to give a prisoner who is about the die for his/her sins an extravagant meal before killing them.
Among the states in the US where the death sentence is a thing (31 out of 50 States), not all allow this final luxury. But considering those having made that last request are all convicted criminals, I wonder whether there are correlations between each order.
The last meal isn't as literal as it suggests. It's usually given to an inmate one to two days before their execution date. There's a budget, too, of $40 in Florida, which again differs between States in the US.
It's a difficult concept to envision and I'd never judge someone on what they eat, unless they're vegetarian. Come on now, have a word. But considering the vast amount of cuisines there are in the world to choose from, maybe it would just be easier to be a veggie in this harrowing scenario. Tofu and salad, simple, no fuss and zero shits given. Maybe a milkshake to wash it down.
This lot below had a pretty cushti last supper. That's if their orders were accepted, which sometimes they're not. None of them struck me as veggies when reading through the detailed requests. All of them came across as pretty hungry, though. Have a read for yourself.
John Wayne Gacy assaulted and killed at least 33 young men and boys. For his last meal before his execution, he allegedly ordered 12 fried shrimp, a bucket of KFC fried chicken with chips and a pound of strawberries.
Ricky Ray Rector was sentenced to death after he killed a police officer in Arkansas, USA. The last meal he ordered was steak, fried chicken, some cherry Kool-Aid and a pecan pie.
Murderer Clarence Ray Allen was executed in California in 2006. His last meal was Buffalo steak, KFC, sugar-free pecan pie and sugar-free black walnut ice cream.
April 30, 2012. Video credit: YouTube/Discovery
Rainey Bethea was the last person to be publicly executed in the USA. He was hung to death in Kentucky, 1936. His last meal was fried chicken, pork chops, mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers, cornbread, lemon pie and ice cream.
American spree killer Alton Coleman received the death penalty from three States and was executed in the State of Ohio in 2002. She asked for a well-done filet mignon smothered with mushrooms, fried chicken breasts, a salad with French dressing, sweet potato pie with whipped cream, French fries. (Forgive me as I come up for air)... Collard greens, onion rings, cornbread, broccoli with melted cheese, biscuits and gravy. If that wasn't enough, she also requested a cherry coke - I feel like I'm reading Meal Deal Talk. She gets 10/10 for the cherry coke, that's it from me and I'd eat my hat if that came to less than £3.
Dennis Wayne Bagwell was sentenced to death on November 7, 1996. For his last meal, he ordered a 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 sauce, two hamburgers, peach pie, milk, coffee, and iced tea with real sugar. He liked onions.
Not that I'm not saying it's a bad thing to have fried chicken as a side, man gotta feed 'em nerves before the big day. But that's a bucket load of KFC injected into those orders. Is that really their favourite meal or is there more to it?
Training psychologist Jacob van Bentum believes that it's because KFC is a comfort meal, perhaps chosen in a nostalgic state of mind. He said: "When you think about the situation these people on death row are in, you can see why someone would want a food that's a treat and reminds them of a reward." That makes sense. I don't remember a time when I was tucking into a bargain bucket feeling uncomfortable, or unrewarded for that matter.
"As with a lot of things, though, there is the social desirability effect in place," Bentum added. "If you consider the percentage of black inmates in US prisons, the stigma of KFC being preferred would probably be a massive influence on choice. Although you are moments away from dying for a lot of hardened criminals, reputation will still be the number one priority."
Here's what Twitter thought:
Colonel's secret recipe or not, there's no denying the 'finger lickin'' goodness of fried chicken. It almost definitely appears as one of my final requests, below steak and chips, though.
Featured image credit: Twitter/@DeathRowMMP
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Death Row
