Serial Killers Last Meals: Dine Like A King Then Fry

If you love true crime trivia, you'll love this blog!

We're going to discuss the famous last meals of serial killers, mass murderers, and other killers on death row. We'll also discuss some of the final meals before celebrity deaths.

Get ready to learn all about the famous last meals of death row inmates and others.

Why Do Death Row Inmates Get A Last Meal?

A condemned prisoner's last meal is a customary ritual preceding execution. In many countries, a prisoner may select what the last meal will be.

Many last meals express the offenders' desires for comfort and familiarity. Some prisoners choose last meals based on comfort foods from their childhood. Fried food is a common theme among last meal requests of serial killers.

In the United States, most states serve the last meal a day or two before execution. In the United States, most states serve the last meal a day or two before execution.

Some states impose restrictions on what can be requested as a last meal.

In Texas, the tradition of customized last meals was established around 1924. Texas abolished all special meal requests after a prisoner did not eat his requested meal in 2011.

In Florida, the food for the last meal must be purchased locally and costs are limited to $40.

Last Meals Of Serial Killers

What Was Jeffrey Dahmer's Last Meal?

Jeffrey Dahmer didn’t have an official last meal because he did not make it to his death sentence. He was killed by another inmate. According to this Reddit thread Jeffrey Dahmer’s final meal before he was beaten to death was cereal, toast, hard boiled eggs, and coffee.

Learn more about the Milwaukee Cannibal in What Was Wrong With Jeffrey Dahmer?

What Was Ted Bundy's Last Meal?

Ted Bundy’s last meal was Florida State Prison’s default last meal which is steak & eggs, hash browns, coffee, juice and toast with butter and jam. He wasn't hungry though so he didn't eat it.

Ted Bundy was one of the most notorious U.S serial killers. He confessed to the murders of 30 young women and girls, but people suspect that he killed many more.

Check out more Ted Bundy Trivia.

What Was Aileen Wuornos Last Meal?

Aileen Wuornos last meal was a burger from the prison canteen because Wuornos declined a special last meal.

Aileen Wuornos received the death sentence on October 9, 2002 in Florida after pleading guilty to six counts of murder. Learn more about Aileen and other female serial killers.

What Was John Wayne Gacy's Last Meal Request?

John Wayne Gacy requested a last meal that included KFC original recipe chicken, french fries, strawberries, 12 fried prawns, and a Diet Coke.

John Wayne Gacy previously managed three Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants before being arrested for the rapes, torture, and murders of at least 33 men and boys.

What Was Danny Rolling's Last Meal?

According to Buzzfeed, Danny Rolling, the serial killer who inspired the Scream franchise, ate a last meal that included:

• Lobster tail

• Butterfly shrimp

• Baked potato

• Strawberry cheesecake

• Sweet tea

Also known as the Gainesville Reaper, Rolling raped, killed, mutilated and posed 5 college students August 4 and 7, 1990. His execution was lethal injection on October 25, 2006.

Make Famous Serial Killers Last Meals

If any of the meals in this blog sound good to you, you can get recipes for many of them in The Serial Killer Cookbook by Ashley Lecker. She provides death row last meals for recipes like fried chicken and shrimp, biscuits and gravy, and a grilled cheese sandwich. Plus there's lots of killer deserts in the cookbook.

Death Row Last Meal Rules By State

In this section we'll cover the death row last meal rules by state. The majority of states do not allow the death penalty. The following states do and have last meal rules:

• Alabama: Alabama allows last meals on death row, but inmates must eat the meal at least 20 hours before the execution by lethal injection or nitrogen hypoxia to prevent inmates from throwing up during execution.

• Arizona: Arizona will accommodate reasonable last meal requests made at least 14 days in advance using form 710-5. The meal will be served at 1900 the day before execution and must be completed by 2100. The inmate may retain limited consumable commissary items until the time of the last meal.

• Florida: Florida death row meals are allowed to cost up to $40 and must be available locally. If they do not request a last meal, they will be fed steak, eggs, toast, milk, coffee, juice, and hashbrowns. They may refuse to eat like Ted Bundy did.

• Idaho: Death row inmates in Idaho may choose their final meal based on the options available in the prison cafeteria.

• Mississippi: Mississippi allows $15 last meals. Death row is included in the law that requires the food budget to be less than $15/day per inmate.

• Missouri: Missouri allows a final meal within reason, but I could not identify the rules.

• Nevada: Nevada allows food that can be prepared in the prison kitchen only.

• Ohio: Ohio inmates get their death row request served at 4:00 pm the day before execution.

• Oklahoma: A death row inmate's last meal in Oklahoma must be less than $25.

• South Carolina: South Carolina allows a last meal within reason, but will reject it when you request large meals like three buckets of KFC to share with everyone on death row.

• Tennessee: Tennessee will provide a last meal that costs $20 or less and can be made in the prison.

• Texas: Death row final meals are not allowed in Texas anymore. We'll discuss why later in the blog.

Mass Murderers Last Meals

What Was Hitler's Last Meal?

Hitler ate his last meal in his bunker after realizing he lost the war. People disagree what his last meal was. Some claim it was spaghetti with tomato sauce, while others say lasagna, or potato ravioli

Hitler killed 6 million Jews and millions of others during the Holocaust.

What Was Timothy Mcveigh's Last Meal?

Timothy McVeigh only requested mint chocolate chip ice cream for his last meal.

Timothy McVeigh performed the Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995. He killed 168 people and injured hundreds more. 19 children were part of the casualties.

Last Meals Of Controversial Convicted Murderers

What Was Marcellus Williams' Last Meal?

Marcellus Williams' last meal on death row was chicken wings and tater tots.

Marcellus Williams was executed by lethal injection on September 24, 2024 in Bonne Terre for the controversial murder conviction of reporter Felicia Gayle in 1998.

There were concerns about DNA evidence not matching Williams and racial bias in the jury selection, but all appeals to halt the execution were rejected. Cases like this are why many states have rejected the capital punishment.

What Was George Stinney Jr Last Meal?

There is no record of George Stinney Jr's last meal.

George Stinney was 14 years old when he was accused, convicted, and executed for the murders of an eight and 11 year old girl. He was questioned without his parents or a lawyer.

Stinney is the youngest person executed in the U.S. In 2014, his conviction was overturned because of an unfair trial.

What Was Richard Cooey's Last Meal?

Richard Cooey, famous for arguing that at 275 lbs he was too big to be executed, ate a last meal that included:

• 1 T-bone steak

• 4 fried eggs

• French fries

• Onion rings

• Buttered toast

• Hash browns

• Bucket of rocky road ice cream

• Bear claw pastries

• Bottle of Mountain Dew

He was executed on October 14, 2008 for raping, torturing and killing two college students.

Celebrities Last Meals Before Death

What Was Michael Jackson's Last Meal?

Michael Jackson's last meal was a spinach salad with chicken in it. This was his normal pre-rehearsal dinner.

Michael Jackson was preparing for a tour but was under the care of a doctor who would give him injections of diazepam, lorazepam, and midazolam. His cause of death was propofol, a general anesthetic.

Dr. Conrad Murray was sentenced to 4 years in prison for MJs death and served 1 year, 11 months before being released and put on parole. He also lost his license to practice medicine in the U.S, but not in Trinidad and other countries.

What Was Kobe Bryant's Last Meal?

Before Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash his last meal was supposedly a protein shake with almond milk, banana, peanut butter, and vanilla protein powder

Last Meal FAQ

Are last meals still a thing in Texas?

No. Inmates last meals were cancelled in Texas after white supremacist Lawrence Brewer ordered one of the best last meals that included:

• 3 fajitas

• 3 root beers

• 2 chicken-fried steaks w/ gravy

• 1Triple meat bacon cheeseburger

• 1 cheese omelette

• Bowl of fried okra

• 1 Pound of barbecued meat

• 1 Meat Lovers pizza

• 1 Bucket of ice cream

• 1 slab of peanut butter fudge.

• Half a loaf of white bread

He refused to eat any of it and Texas gave no more death row inmates last meals.

What's the most common last meal?

A study on the last meal of death row prisoners found that the most common meal was centered around chicken. Meat(83.9% request), fried food (67.9%) , desserts (66.3%), soft drinks (60%), and specific brands (39.9%) were also common.

It also found the final meal requests average 2,756 calories (more than most people should eat in a day, and that it has 2.5x the daily recommended protein and fat..

What Was Jesus' Last Meal?

Jesus last meal, depicted in the painting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, would likely have been a traditional Passover meal that includes matzah (unleavened bread), maror (bitter herbs), and charoset (a sweet mixture).

Jesus was crucified, the ancient Roman version of the death penalty, for instigating a rebellion and blasphemy. In other words, the Romans killed Jesus for the same thing that Trump did when encouraging people to storm Congress.

What Was The Most Expensive Last Meal On Death Row?

According to Ranker the most elaborate last meal on death row was requested by Steven Woods in 2011. This elaborate meal included:

• 12 garlic bread sticks with a side of marinara

• 5 chicken fried steaks

• 4 fried chicken breasts

• 2 lbs of bacon

• 2 hamburgers with bacon

• 2 pints of ice cream

• 2 Mountain Dew

• 2 Pepsi

• 2 root beer

• 2 sweet teas

• Large four-meat pizza

• Fries

Grok estimates it would cost $151.

What Would Your Last Meal Be?

If you were sentenced to the death penalty what would you order for you last meal? Would you go with a steak, fries, and soda, or a more extravagant meal?