What would you ask for if you knew it was going to be your final meal? For prisoners facing execution, the last meal has become one of the most fascinating and unsettling traditions in American criminal justice. Some requested simple comfort foods. Others ordered enormous meals. A few made requests that reflected their personality, beliefs, or circumstances right up until the end. This video looks at the last meals requested by several notorious prisoners, including Timothy McVeigh, John Wayne Gacy, Stanley “Tookie” Williams, Ted Bundy, Ronnie Lee Gardner, and Lawrence Russell Brewer. Timothy McVeigh, convicted for the Oklahoma City bombing, requested two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream. John Wayne Gacy, convicted of murdering multiple young men and boys, reportedly requested fried shrimp, French fries, fresh strawberries, and a Diet Coke. Stanley “Tookie” Williams, convicted of multiple murders, requested a final meal that included items such as chicken, mashed potatoes, and vegetables. Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers in American history, was offered a traditional special meal before his execution. He reportedly declined it and instead received the standard prison meal. Ronnie Lee Gardner, convicted of murder, requested a large meal that included steak, lobster, apple pie, vanilla ice cream, and other foods. Lawrence Russell Brewer, a white supremacist convicted in the murder of James Byrd Jr., reportedly requested an enormous final meal, including steak, fried chicken, bacon cheeseburgers, pizza, ice cream, and other foods. According to reports, he ultimately did not eat it. The details surrounding these final meals have continued to fascinate people for decades because they offer a strange glimpse into the final hours of people who committed notorious crimes. The tradition also raises a bigger question: Why do we give condemned prisoners a choice of food before execution? Is it an important part of human dignity, an outdated tradition, or something else entirely? Which final meal surprised you the most? And if you had to choose one meal knowing it would be your last, what would you order? Follow for more fascinating stories from American history, true crime, notorious criminals, criminal justice, and the strange details you probably never learned in school. #TrueCrime #CriminalHistory #AmericanHistory #TrueCrimeTok #HistoryTok - @truecrimememoir