Obsessed with all things terrifying, dark, and creepy? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get your weekly dopamine fix of the macabre delivered RIGHT to your inbox!
The practice of granting a final meal to death row inmates has fascinated people for decades. From steak and lobster to a simple cup of coffee, the last requests of serial killers have revealed unexpected preferences and become a curious intersection of crime, culture, and psychology. Here’s a look at some of the most infamous ones:
1.
John Wayne Gacy, one of the most notorious serial killers in American history who was active in the Chicago area in the 1970s, and had at least 33 victims.
Known as the “Killer Clown” — a moniker given because of his public appearances as a clown before the discovery of his crimes — Gacy would rape and torture his victims, who were all young men and boys. He would then kill them either by asphyxiation or strangulation. Gacy was executed by lethal injection in May 1994.
His last meal: A bucket of KFC chicken, 12 fried prawns, a pound of strawberries, French fries, and a Diet Coke.
2.
Ted Bundy, a serial killer who kidnapped, raped, and murdered at least 30 young women and girls in the ’70s.
Bundy is often remembered not only for the sensational media coverage surrounding his trial but also for the unsettling fascination and admiration many women had for him. While Bundy officially confessed to 30 murders, investigators and experts think the true number of his victims may have been far higher, with some believing there to be as many as 100. After spending several years in prison, Bundy was executed by electric chair in January 1989.
His last meal: Bundy declined to choose, so he was given the standard last meal provided at Florida State Prison: Steak cooked medium-rare, eggs over easy, hash browns, toast with butter and jelly, milk, and juice.
3.
Aileen Wuornos, a serial killer who murdered and robbed six men (and possibly a seventh) while doing sex work in Florida from 1989 to 1990.
Known as “The Damsel of Death,” Wuornos initially claimed she acted in self-defense, but she later recanted and said she wasn’t a victim and that she simply robbed and killed her victims for money. Wuornos was executed on Oct. 9, 2002.
Her last meal: Wuornos declined the last meal option and instead opted for a cup of coffee.
4.
Gary Ray Bowles, a vicious serial killer who murdered six men along the East Coast in 1994, targeting older gay men.
Known as the “I-95 Killer,” Bowles was reportedly motivated by hatred and personal trauma. He was captured later in 1994, sentenced to death in Florida, and executed by lethal injection in 2019.
His last meal: Three cheeseburgers, bacon, and French fries.
5.
Oscar Ray Bolin, a serial killer convicted of brutally murdering multiple young women in Florida during the 1980s.
Bolin was arrested in 1990 after his ex-wife’s husband tipped off authorities. While awaiting execution, Bolin’s case drew further attention because he married Rosalie Martinez, a member of his defense team who left her then-husband to marry him. Bolin was eventually executed by lethal injection in 2016 after a lengthy trial and decades of appeals.
His last meal: A medium-rare rib-eye steak, baked potato with butter and sour cream, salad with iceberg lettuce, cucumber, and tomato, baked garlic bread, lemon meringue pie, and a bottle of Coca-Cola.
6.
David Alan Gore, a serial killer who committed six brutal murders in Florida between 1981 and 1983, and was often accompanied by his cousin, Fred Waterfield.
Together, Gore and Waterfield were given the moniker the “Killing Cousins.” They would abduct, rape, and murder women and teenage girls, often using Gore’s position as an auxiliary sheriff’s deputy to lure victims. Gore was arrested after a failed escape attempt by 17-year-old Lynn Elliott, whose murder led to his capture. He was executed by lethal injection in 2012 after spending 28 years on death row.
His last meal: Fried chicken, French fries, and butter pecan ice cream.
7.
William Bonin, a serial killer who raped and murdered at least 21 teenage boys and young men in Southern California between 1979 and 1980.
Known as the “Freeway Killer,” Bonin would lure victims into his van, often with help from accomplices, then assault and kill them, dumping their bodies along freeways. Caught in 1980, he was convicted of 14 murders and died by lethal injection in 1996 — California’s first to be carried out by that method.
His last meal: Two large pepperoni and sausage pizzas, three pints of coffee ice cream, and three six-packs of Coca-Cola.
8.
Bobby Joe Long, a serial rapist and murderer who terrorized Florida’s Tampa Bay area in 1984, killing at least 10 women after previously assaulting dozens.
Known as the “Classified Ad Rapist,” Long would target his victims after finding them through personal ads in Florida, thus being called the “Classified Ad Rapist.” Long’s crime spree ended when 17-year-old Lisa McVey, whom he abducted and later released, provided crucial information that led to his arrest. Convicted of multiple crimes, Long was sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection in 2019.
His last meal: Roast beef, bacon, French fries, and soda.
9.
Stephen Peter Morin, a serial killer known for drifting across the US during the 1970s and ‘80s, abducting and murdering mostly young women.
Given the moniker “The Chameleon” because he used multiple fake identities, Morin is believed to have had at least 40 victims, but the exact number is unknown. He was arrested in Texas in December 1981, shortly after attempting to abduct another young woman, Margaret “Margy” Palm. In a wild turn, Palm had reportedly talked Morin into surrendering himself peacefully. Morin later pleaded guilty to his charges and was executed on March 13, 1985.
His last meal: A T-bone steak, baked potato, butter, sweet green peas, bread rolls, banana pudding, and coffee.
10.
Rhonda Belle Martin, a waitress from Alabama who killed her husband, mother, and five of her children, using rat poison in the 1940s and ’50s.
Interestingly, one of Martin’s victims — her stepson, who later became her fifth husband — actually survived an attempted poisoning, but was left paralyzed. She was executed in 1957, becoming the last woman to be electrocuted and executed in the state of Alabama until 2002.
11.
Danny Rolling, an extremely brutal serial killer who murdered five college students in Gainesville, Florida, in 1990.
Known as the “Gainesville Ripper,” Rolling’s crimes were marked by extreme brutality and staging of the scenes. After an unrelated burglary, he was arrested and then linked to the killings by DNA. Rolling confessed to them and other murders and was executed in 2006. His crimes would actually go on to inspire elements of the film Scream.
His last meal: Lobster tail, butterfly shrimp, baked potato, strawberry cheesecake, and sweet tea.
12.
John Fautenberry, a long-haul truck driver who turned into a serial killer, murdering at least five people across different states in the early ’90s, usually during robberies.
Because of his transient lifestyle, Fautenberry was able to target strangers he met on the road. He was eventually captured in Juneau, Alaska, in March 1991, and then extradited to Ohio. He confessed to multiple killings and was eventually executed after spending years on death row.
His last meal: Two eggs sunny side up, two pieces of fried bologna, two pieces of toast with butter and jelly, four slices of tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise, fried potatoes, four pieces of white bread, two 3 Musketeers candy bars, and two packs of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
13.
Finally, John Martin Scripps, an English serial killer who posed as a tourist in the mid-1990s.
Nicknamed the “Garden City Butcher” or “Tourist from Hell,” Scripps murdered and dismembered at least three fellow travelers in Singapore and Thailand using butchery techniques he learned in prison, and was eventually caught attempting to use their identities. He was convicted and hanged in Singapore in 1996, making him the first Briton executed there post-independence.
His last meal: Pizza and hot chocolate.
Love this kind of content? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get more like it delivered RIGHT to your inbox!
Related
Discover more from InstiWitty Media Studios
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
