Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Samuel's Spicy Supper

Convicted killer Samuel Lopez was executed by the state of Arizona today, over 25 years after he committed his capital crime. Lopez made headlines last October when his Dalai Lama outfit won first prize at the prison's annual "Convicts in Costume" Halloween ball, but not even His Holiness could've found harmony in Lopez's indigestion-inducing last meal.

Prior to his execution, Lopez dined on one red chili con carne, one green chili con carne, Spanish rice, one jalapeƱo, one avocado, cottage cheese, French fries, vanilla ice cream, pineapple, and a Coke.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Simmons Savors Super-Size Serving of Sauce


Gary Carl Simmons Jr. always had a saucy attitude; while serving time on Mississippi’s death row, the convicted killer was reprimanded for over 60 violations ranging from throwing hot water on prison staff to destroying state property and “not following sanitation regulations.”

Simmons carried that saucy reputation with him to the grave. Along with his last meal, he requested a whopping 80 ounces of ranch dressing, the equivalent of five full bottles. Since he didn’t ask for any salad, we can only assume he used the dressing as a dipping sauce for the rest of his massive meal, which included one Pizza Hut medium Super Supreme Deep Dish pizza with double portions of mushrooms, onions, jalapeno peppers, and pepperoni; one pizza with regular portions of three cheeses, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and Italian sausage; 10 8-oz. packs of Parmesan cheese; one family-size bag of nacho cheese Doritos; 8 oz. jalapeno nacho cheese; 4 oz. sliced jalapenos; 2 large strawberry shakes; two 20-oz. cherry Cokes; one super-size order of McDonald's fries with extra ketchup and mayonnaise; and two pints of strawberry ice cream.


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Clemency for Shrimp, But Not for Brawner

For the past few months, shrimp in Mississippi have had good reason to be nervous; almost every death row inmate in that state has chowed down on a big ol' mess of shrimp prior to their execution. But that streak was broken today when Jan Michael Brawner ordered a totally shrimp-free last meal. Instead, Brawner asked for one DiGiorno Italian Style Favorites Chicken Parmesan pizza, one DiGiorno Italian Style Favorites Meat Trio pizza, a small salad (lettuce, pickles, black olives, tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese with Ranch dressing), a bottle of Tabasco sauce, sweet iced tea, and a pint of Breyers Blast Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream.

Leavitt Has Lame But Loyal Last Meal

Richard Leavitt was executed in Idaho this morning, and his last meal was almost as snooze-inducing as the lethal injection he received. Idaho prisoners can only choose from items on the prison's standard menu, so Leavitt picked baked chicken, French fries, and milk.

Yes, it's a meal you'd expect to find on a middle-school lunch menu. Yes, it could have been the dinner served at one of those events where people are offered a "free meal" if they'll sit through a four-hour timeshare pitch. But while it might have been bland, it was also a sign of fierce loyalty.

In Idaho, the potato is more than just a tasty side dish; it's also a way of life. Outsiders might not realize it, but state law demands that every human being (and certain domesticated animals) consume some form of potato at every meal. Whether mashed, fried, scalloped, stuffed, or boiled, the homely but tasty vegetable must be present at every dining opportunity. And the risk for breaking this sacred covenant? At best, a visit from an unsmiling member of the Idaho Potato Commission. At worst, you're rudely awakened at 2AM to find members of the radical jackboot-wearing People's Spud Brigade hurling Russets and Yukon Golds through your windows.

By ordering French fries as part of his last meal, Leavitt paid homage to Idaho's unwavering--and somewhat frightening--potatomania.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Death Row's Oddest Inmates Now In Paperback

The wait is finally over! The paperback edition of the companion book to Last Suppers is now available from Amazon!

CLICK HERE to go straight to the product page.


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Jackson Disses Default Dinner

There's not much to tell about the execution of Henry Curtis Jackson. The Mississippi man who received the death penalty for killing four children didn't order a special last meal and refused to eat any of the standard dinner meal he was served. When asked if he wanted to make a last statement, Jackson replied, "No, I don't."