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Convicted Killer, 79, Had 'Basic' Final Meal Before Being Executed

Convicted Killer, 79, Had 'Basic' Final Meal Before Being Executed

Convicted killer Bigler Stouffer was put to death on Thursday aged 79

A convicted killer had a ‘basic’ last meal before he was put to death this week.

Seventy-nine-year-old killer Bigler Stouffer was executed by lethal injection on Thursday in Oklahoma and has become one of the oldest people to ever be executed in the US.

Stouffer did not request a special last meal, so was served a chicken burger, two slices of bread, broccoli, chips, mixed fruit, two biscuits, a bottle of water and a fruit drink. 

He was given the lethal injection at 10am at the State Penitentiary in McAlester and was pronounced dead 16 minutes later. 

According to the Mirror, he had been laughing and joking with his spiritual advisor moments before he gave his last words and was put to death. 

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His final words were: “My request is that my Father forgive them. Thank you.”

Stouffer was convicted of killing school teacher Linda Reaves in 1985 and seriously injuring her partner Doug Ivens. 

According to Fox, Stouffer had been in a relationship with Ivens' ex-wife at the time, who was the only beneficiary of a $2m life insurance policy - at trial, prosecutors argued Stouffer had planned the killing in an attempt to get his hands on the cash.

But, despite being shot three times, Ivens survived and was able to testify against Stouffer at trial. 

Stouffer was sentenced to the death penalty in 1985, which was later overturned, he was convicted and given the death penalty again in 2003. 

Stouffer had maintained his innocence over the attack.

Speaking at a parole board hearing last month, he claimed Ivens was shot as he and Ivens fought over guns at Ivens’ home. 

He claimed Reaves was already dead when he arrived. 

He said: “I am totally innocent of the murder of Linda Reaves and my heart goes out to the family of Linda Reaves that have suffered as a result of her murder.”

Concerns had been raised over Stouffer’s execution as it was the first in Oklahoma since killed John Grant was left convulsing and vomiting on the gurney.  

Grant was convicted of killing cafeteria worker Gay Carter while in prison in 1999 and sentenced to death. 

Associated Press reporter Sean Murphy who witnessed the execution said: “He began convulsing about two-dozen times, full-body convulsions, and began to vomit, which covered his face and began to run down his neck and the side of his face.”


Featured Image Credit: Oklahoma Department of Corrections

Topics: US News, Crime