Nine months ago, Benjamin Ritchie was executed by the State of Indiana for killing a police officer. For his “last meal” he requested the “Tour of Italy” from the Olive Garden. The meal is a combination platter of chicken parmigiana, lasagna and fettucine alfredo. The story caught my attention. I have always been fascinated by the last meal requests of the condemned, and this particular meal struck me as odd. I mean, who doesn’t like the Olive Garden, but as a last meal?
The idea of granting the condemned a last meal is centuries old. It may date back to a Roman belief that it was easier to cross over into the underworld on a full stomach or it may reflect a tribute to the Last Supper. In modern times, it is sometimes seen as a final comfort or a contrast between the brutality of the crime and the justness of the execution.
Traditionally, the condemned is given a choice. Some choose lavishly; some choose nothing at all. In recent years, fast food from places like Taco Bell or Burger King are popular. The Mountain Dew Baja Blast has been requested fairly frequently. Strawberry shakes are also popular. Some states limit the cost of the meal. The limit in Florida is $40. In Oklahoma it is a mere $15.
Ted Bundy, Florida’s most famous serial killer refused to select a last meal and was given the traditional steak and eggs. Aileen Wuornos, the I-95 killer, had a number of special meals leading up to her execution that included Dr. Pepper, steak, eggs, hash browns and a strawberry shake; but prior to her actual execution she asked for just a cup of coffee.
Thomas Grasso, executed for murder, asked for a massive meal that included mussels, clams, Burger King, two strawberry shakes and Spaghetti-O’s. In his final statement, he said, “I did not get my Spaghetti-O’s … I want the press to know this.”
Victor Feguer lured a doctor to a hotel room, where he murdered him. For his last meal, he asked for a single olive with the pit left inside. He ate the olive and left the pit in his pocket, ostensibly hoping an olive tree would sprout from his grave. By contrast, John Wayne Gacy ordered a bucket of KFC amongst other things.
Ricky Lee Rector, executed for killing a policeman in Arkansas, asked for steak, chicken and pecan pie. He ate the steak and the chicken, but not the pecan pie, saying he was saving it “for later.” Convicted murderer Lawrence Brewer asked for a huge meal that included steak, burgers, pizza and ice cream. When he refused to eat any of it, Texas banned all special last meal requests.
In 1935, George W Barrett, known as “The Diamond King,” was hanged in Indianapolis for killing a federal agent in a shoot-out. He was executed under a federal Law that mandated hanging as the punishment. Indiana did not have a hangman. A local farmer volunteered. His wife made the hood.
For his last meal Barrett requested the “biggest steak in town.” He never ate it. On the way out of the execution, a newspaper reporter named Arthur Tiernan spotted the steak still in the jail’s kitchen and sat down to eat it.
Scott Grant is a local author, historian and money manager. He can be reached at scottg@standfastic.com.
