No Coddling Killers: Texas Serves Last 'Last Supper

Two chicken fried steaks, a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger, fried okra, a pound of barbecue, three fajitas, a "meat lover's" pizza, a pint of ice cream and a slab of peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts.

That was the menu requested by convicted killer Lawrence Russell Brewer who was executed in Texas Wednesday night.

The Texas Department of Corrections delivered the meal as ordered, but according to reports, nothing was touched by Mr. Brewer. (I can't say that I blame him, who could work up an appetite knowing that you were about to receive an express pass to the afterlife?)

After a long period of not executing convicted killers, Texas started thinning out its Death Row population in 1982 and the standard operating procedure was to allow death row inmates to order whatever last meal they wanted. The only real restriction was that the prison kitchen had to be able to cook/create the dish.

After Brewer's ridiculous meal was left untouched, Texas politicians became outraged at the waste and State Senator John Whitmire started writing letters demanding that the practice of offering a prisoner's choice "last meal" be ended.  Brad Livingston of the Texas Department of Corrections responded within hours and issued the following statement;

"Effective immediately, no such accommodations will be made. They (death row inmates) will receive the same meal served to other offenders on the unit."

Texas = Sanity

The subject of strange Last Meals is not new. If you wish to learn more about this odd topic, there are many places to look. In 2004, "Meals To Die For", a book written by a former prison inmate who had to cook almost 200 meals for the condemned was released. And three years ago, the twisted minds at Zombie Popcorn posted their list of the "Top 10 Death Row Last Meals." One of the strange meals on the list #5.

Chocolate birthday cake with “2/23/90″ written on top, seven pink candles, one coconut, kiwi fruit juice, pineapple juice, one mango, grapes, lettuce, cottage cheese, peaches, one banana, one delicious apple, chef salad without meat and with thousand island dressing, fruit salad, cheese, and tomato slices. – Miguel Richardson (a convicted murderer who spent 20 years on Death Row)

The number one meal on the Zombie Popcorn List?

French fries, five pieces of fried chicken, and three Dr. Peppers – Tony Walker (a convicted rapist and murderer)

Of course, if I had my way, all last meals served in prison would look like this.