To Hell With the Calories!

- The Last Meal of Ten Famous Criminals For some people, its deep dish pizza, and for others it is Kansas City BBQ. Some guys have a deadly passion for food truck tacos and I know more at least one lady who would kill for milk chocolate. Seriously. Kill. But what do you do when your next meal is really and truly your last. Do you go out with a bucket of wings and beer or do you do it right with a Kobe beef and those little roasted potatoes? Make sure that you choose wisely, because your meal might stay on your pallet and into the great unknown. Below are nine individuals who ordered a la carte from the Grim Reaper and one lucky stiff whose life was spared for his gastronomical choice. Learn from their example and enjoy each meal as your last, because who knows?

10) Robert Dale Conklin- Georgia Murderer When most people consider last meals, the last requested of Robert Dale Conklin comes to mind. Sentenced to death for the murder of his boyfriend, Conklin chose bacon-wrapped filet mignon as his final repast; medium-well, with shrimp in garlic and butter, and a baked potato topped with sour cream, chives, and diced bacon. On the side he requested corn on the cob, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, French bread with butter, a plate of goat cheese and cantaloupe, and apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream. He washed the meal down with ice tea, presumably unsweetened, to cut a few calories.

9) Adolf Eichmann- Nazi SS-Obersturmbannfhrer During his time as one of the highest-ranking members of the Nazi Party, Eichmann was used to indulging in the best, usually paid for by others at unimaginable costs. Captured in Argentina and tried for crimes against humanity, Otto Adolph Eichmann was sentenced to death by hanging in Ramla, Israel. His trail was watched closely by the world and received as much attention as any trial in history. Refusing his last meal, Eichmann ironically asked instead for a bottle of Carmel, a dry Israeli red wine.

8) Thomas Treshawn Ivey- Convicted of killing a police officer in South Carolina After escaping jail, stealing a car, and going on a rampage that left two dead, Thomas Treshawn Ivey was sentenced to death by lethal injection. On the eve of his death, a razor was found in his possession. Officials speculated that he was planning a fake suicide attempt that would have delayed his execution. During his final walk, he had to be restrained numerous times. While some blamed this on a natural fear of death, others blamed a high sugar last meal of donuts and chocolate milkshakes.

7) Philip Workman- Convicted of the murder of a police officer in Tennessee Philip Workman was sentenced to death by lethal injection in a case that still remains controversial to this day. Proclaiming his innocent, his case was taken up by the media, documentarians, and even songstress Nanci Griffith. He declined his last meal and instead asked that a vegetarian pizza be given to a local homeless person. The prison denied his request, but private citizens donated hundreds of pizzas to local homeless shelters in his name.

6) James Edwards Smith- Convicted of Robbery and Murder in Texas When asked by the state of Texas what James Edwards Smith would like as a last meal, his reply was a small lump of dirt. Smith intended the dirt not as a last meal, but as part of a voodoo ritual. Since dirt was not on the approved list of prison food, he was asked to reconsider his request. His last meal instead was a small cup of yogurt.

5) Velma Barfield- Famous Death Row Granny The first woman in the United States to be put to death by lethal injection, Velma Barfield was a serial killer who was convicted of slaying one man but confessed to killing seven. For her last meal, the Death Row Granny chose a supper of Cheese Doodles and a can of Coke.

4) Aileen Carol Wuornos- Prostitute and Serial Killer Sentenced to death for the murder of seven men in Florida, Alileen asked for a piping hot cup of coffee instead of a last meal. With no concerns regarding the effects of caffeine on an empty stomach, she was put to death by lethal injection.

3) Ringer Edwards-Prisoner of War Jimmie Ringer Edwards, an Australian POW, was savagely tortured and crucified during his internment in a Japanese prison camp. When asked what he wanted for his last meal, he requested beer and chicken. Since the Japanese were unable to obtain his last meal request, he was released.

2) Victor Feguer- Convicted of the Murder of Dr. Edward Bartles A poet till the last, Feuger opted to have a single unpitted olive as his last meal, in the hopes that once he was buried a tree would sprout from his grave to symbolize peace. He was hung from the neck until dead, and an olive pit was discovered by prison guards in his pants pocket.

1) John Coffey- Death Row Inmate on the Green Mile John Coffey was the gentle giant who was unfairly imprisoned in Stephen Kings The Green Mile. When John went on to meet his maker, he asked for a plate of meat loaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, okra, and peach cobbler, and a slice or two of the Mrs. home-made cornbread, if it wasnt too much trouble. Steve Gomez is a pulp writer in the best (or worst) tradition. You can get your FREE copy of his BLOCKBUSTER Noir Novel THE STANDING EIGHT here!