Death Row inmates most outrageous last meals - from huge feast to single olive

From extravagant feasts to surprisingly modest bites, death row prisoners in the US have grabbed headlines for their extraordinary and sometimes startling final meal choices before execution.

Some, like Gary Carl Simmons Jr, known as "The Butcher", requested an infamous 29,000 calorie spread large enough for multiple people, whilst others, including Victor Feguer, chose nothing more than a single olive.

Infamous murderers like John Wayne Gacy and Timothy McVeigh also made their own unusual selections, from buckets of KFC to pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Meanwhile, one prisoner's request for pizza inspired a citywide gesture of generosity toward the homeless. These final dinners expose everything from gallows humor to ultimate gestures of humanity, casting an eerie spotlight on one of America's most grim traditions. Here, we examine the most outlandish last meals.

Pizza for a notorious murderer

Gary Carl Simmons Jr's final meal is thought to be the most excessive last supper ever documented in American history, departing in a state of extreme fullness. Simmons, aptly dubbed "The Butcher" because of his savage techniques and his previous occupation, faced capital punishment from a US court, reports the Daily Star.

The murderer consumed nearly 30,000 calories, roughly 1100% beyond what the NHS advises men eat daily, the Daily Star previously revealed. Simmons reportedly began by devouring a Pizza Hut medium Super Supreme Deep Dish pizza, double portion, with mushrooms, onions, jalapeño peppers, and pepperoni.

This was accompanied by another pizza, regular size, topped with three cheeses, olives, bell pepper, tomato, garlic, and Italian sausage. For his additional items, Simmons ordered 10 8-oz. packs of Parmesan cheese, 10 8-oz. packs of ranch dressing, one family size pack of Doritos nacho cheese flavour, 8-oz. jalapeño nacho cheese, and 4-oz. sliced jalapeños.

To complete his order, he also requested a super-size portion of McDonald's fries with extra ketchup and mayonnaise, and two pints of strawberry ice cream. For beverages, The Butcher asked for two large strawberry shakes and two 20-oz. cherry Cokes.

The Department of Corrections reported he was approximately halfway through the meal 90 minutes before his execution and had sampled everything except the fries, but was still consuming food.

Milkshakes and mussels before capital punishment

Thomas Grasso indulged in a final meal of milkshakes, burgers and pie - along with 48 seafood items - before criticizing the meal with his last words. Grasso was sentenced to death for the murder of 87 year old Hilda Johnson in Oklahoma, where capital punishment was permitted at the time.

Grasso, 35, met his end via lethal injection on March 20, 1995 - but not before receiving an extravagant final meal. His last supper included two dozen steamed mussels, two dozen steamed clams with a lemon wedge, a double cheeseburger from Burger King, half a dozen barbecued spare ribs, half a pumpkin pie, spaghetti, two strawberry milkshakes, and diced strawberries.

Despite the feast, Grasso remained unsatisfied, using his final moments to complain about the kitchen staff substituting one of his requested items. Less than an hour before his execution, Grasso insisted "the press to know this" and issued a statement about the meal error.

The convicted killer had specifically requested SpaghettiOs with meatballs. When the meatballs failed to arrive, he released a statement shortly before his death. He said: "I did not get my SpaghettiOs, I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this."

Generous vegetarian last meal donation

Philip Workman, 53, was executed in the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 9, 2007. His final request?

A vegetarian pizza to be given to any homeless individual near Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee. Prison officials at Death Row declined, pointing to regulations prohibiting charitable donations.

Yet others stepped forward to fulfill his wish... When word of Workman's request circulated, residents throughout Nashville took matters into their own hands to honor his dying wish. Homeless shelters across the city received an influx of pizza donations all day Wednesday.

Oatmeal and sports drinks

In the hours leading up to his execution for the 2005 murder of Missouri Highway Patrol trooper Carl DeWayne Graham Jr. , condemned killer Lance Shockley was given his last meal.

Prison authorities revealed Shockley, 43, ordered canteen items including: peanut butter, three packs of oatmeal, water and two sports drinks.

Post-exorcism cheeseburger

Blaine Milam, 35, brutally killed his fiancée's infant daughter during what he called an "exorcism". He received a lethal injection following his conviction for murdering 13-month-old Amora Carson in East Texas in 2008.

Before his final moments, Milam's last meal was substantial, featuring a cheeseburger, oven-fried potatoes, green beans, pinto beans, sliced bread, scrambled eggs, country gravy, a sausage patty, pears, biscuits, tea and water.

KFC and strawberries for the killer clown

John Wayne Gacy, infamously known as the "killer clown" raped, tortured and killed no fewer than 33 teenage boys and young men. Gacy was put to death by lethal injection at Stateville Correctional Centre on May 10, 1994.

His final meal was an elaborate spread featuring 12 fried shrimp, a bucket of original recipe KFC, french fries, and a pound of strawberries.

Cereals for the man who 'deserved to die'

Jeffrey Allen Barney was found guilty of the 1981 rape and killing of Ruby Mae Longsworth at her Texas residence whilst her spouse was away at a ministers' gathering. He admitted his culpability and was reportedly heard saying he "deserved to die" prior to receiving a lethal injection in 1986.

His final meal featured classic breakfast fare: a serving of Frosted Flakes cereal with milk.

Steaks for the racist

Lawrence Russell Brewer chained James Byrd Jr to the rear of a vehicle and dragged him to his death in a hate crime. Brewer made an enormous final meal request.

His order included two chicken fried steaks with sliced onions in gravy; a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger; one cheese omelette with minced beef, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and jalapeños; a large bowl of fried okra with ketchup; one pound of barbecued meat and half a loaf of white bread; three fajitas; a Pizza Hut Meat Lovers pizza; a pint of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream; peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts on top, and three root beers.

After the meal arrived at his cell, Brewer informed prison officials he had no appetite.

One olive

Victor Feguer's apparently senseless killing of a physician he located via the Yellow Pages resulted in a death sentence by hanging in 1963. For his final meal, Feguer asked for a single olive with its pit intact.