The last meals of 12 death row inmates
These are the last meals eaten by 12 death row inmates before they were given the death penalty. In the 31 American states that employ the use of the death penalty, prisoners are permitted to request a special last meal before they die. No photographs of inmates’ actual last meals have ever been published. So Henry Hargreaves, a food photographer from Christchurch, New Zealand, decided to recreate the requests to bring to life the reality of the practice. He told Business Insider: ’I dug into it, went a little deeper and found a public record [of the final meals]. For the first time, these people became humanized. ‘I thought it was really powerful that through food I was able to have an understanding of these people as real human beings.’ 'You don’t know if they’re being served on china plates, or plastic, or eating on their laps, or at a wooden table, so I tried to explore all these variations.’
Victor Fegeur
Victor Fegeur was killed by lethal injection in Iowa in 1963 for kidnap and murder. He was 28. His final meal was a single olive with the pip in it. (Henry Hargreaves)
John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy committed rape and 33 counts of murder. His last meal consisted of 12 fried shrimps, a bucket of original recipe KFC, fries and a pound of strawberries. He received the lethal injection in 1994 aged 52. (Henry Hargreaves)
Timothy McVeigh
33-year-old Timothy McVeigh murdered 168 people in a terrorist attack. Before the lethal injection was administered in 2001 he requested two pints of mint and chocolate chip ice cream. (Henry Hargreaves)
Ricky Ray Rector
Double murderer Ricky Ray Rector ate steak, fried chicken and Cherry Kool-Aid for his last meal in 1992. He requested pecan pie but didn’t eat it, telling a guard he was 'saving it for later’. He was 42 when we was killed. (Henry Hargreaves)
Stephen Anderson
Stephen Anderson was sentenced to death aged 49 after committing burglary, assault, escape from prison and murder. His last meal in 2002 was two grilled cheese sandwiches, a pint of cottage cheese, corn, radishes, peach pie and chocolate chip ice cream. (Henry Hargreaves)
Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy was killed in 1989 aged 43 by electric chair in Florida after committing rape, necrophilia, prison escape and 35 counts of murder. He declined to make a special request, so was given the 'traditional’ final meal of a steak, eggs, hash browns, buttered toast and jam, milk and juice. (Henry Hargreaves)
Angel Nieves Diaz
After committing murder, kidnap and armed robbery and being sentenced to death by lethal injection in 2006 aged 55, Angel Nieves Diaz declined a last meal. (Henry Hargreaves)
Ronnie Lee Gardner
Ronnie Lee Gardner ate a lobster tail, steak, apple pie and vanilla ice cream while watching the Lord of the Rings. He committed burglary, robbery and two counts of murder and was killed by firing squad in 2010 when he was 49. (Henry Hargeaves)
Allen Lee Davis
Triple murderer Allen Lee Davis ate a last meal of lobster tail, fried potatoes, fried shrimp and clams, half a load of garlic bread and root beer. He was killed by electric chair in 1999 aged 54. (Henry Hargreaves)
Teresa Lewis
Murderer Teresa Lewis was killed aged 41 by lethal injection in 2002. Her last meal was fried chicken, peas with butter, apple pie and Doctor Pepper.
Fernandino Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti
Fernandino Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzett were both convicted of murder, aged 36 and 39 respectively. Both were killed by electric chair in 1927 and both had soup, meat, toast and tea for their final meal. A judge has since ruled that they were tried unfairly and the case is still open. (Henry Hargreaves)
Ronnie Threadgill
Murderer Ronnie Threadgill ate baked chicken, mashed potato, vegetables, sweet peas, bread, tea, water and punch before receiving the lethal injection aged 40 in 2013. (Henry Hargreaves)
