Velma Barfield

Convicted December 2, 1978 for the murder of Stuart Taylor, sentenced to death. Executed via lethal injection November 2, 1984 at the North Carolina Central Prison.

MENU

Cheez Doodles
Coca-Cola

Barfield was put to death for the murder of boyfriend Stuart Taylor, whom she killed with a mixture of arsenic and beer, but it's likely she was responsible for a trail of other deaths that followed her, including those of her mother and prior husbands. Nearly 62 at the time of her execution, Barfield became known as the "Death Row Granny," and was the first woman to be executed in the United States since the 1976 reinstatement of the death penalty, and the first woman to be executed by lethal injection. Like Karla Faye Tucker and many other death row inmates, Barfield seemed to have found God during her imprisonment, though later claimed she was only pretending. She declined a formal last meal, choosing instead a bag of Cheez Doodles and a can of Coca-Cola for a final meal that seems more like a convenience store snack.

Teresa Lewis

Convicted November, 2002 of capital murder and conspiracy in connection with the murders of Julian Clifton Lewis, Jr. and Charles J. Lewis, sentenced to death. Executed via lethal injection September 23, 2010 at the Greensville Correctional Center.

MENU

2 Fried Chicken Breasts
Buttered Peas
German Chocolate Cake
Dr. Pepper

The recent execution of Teresa Lewis has proven controversial for a number of reasons, chief amongst them being that while Lewis plotted the murders of her husband and stepson, she did not carry them out herself. The gunmen recieved life sentences, making Lewis's death penalty surprising (the reasoning here being that the ringleader was more responsible than the actual killers). Other objections raised to Lewis's death penalty include her borderline IQ, dependant personality disorder, and lack of a previous criminal record. In her final days, many public figures stepped forward in support of commuting Lewis's death penalty to a life sentence, including legal novelist John Grisham, though Governor Bob McDonnell refused this request. Lewis's last meal is portrayed here with her original dessert choice of German chocolate cake, though some sources indicate she received her second choice, apple pie, instead.

Gary Heidnik

Convicted July 1, 1988 for the murders of Sandra Lindsay and Deborah Dudley, sentenced to death. Executed via lethal injection July 6, 1999 at SCI Rockview.

MENU

2 Slices of Cheese Pizza
2 Cups of Coffee

Heidnik kidnapped and tortured 6 women during 1986 and 1987, holding them captive in the basement of his Philadelphia home. He served as one of author Thomas Harris's inspirations for the character Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs; the isolation pit in the basement floor was one of Heidnik's punishments for his victims. Amazingly, 4 of his victims survived their brutal ordeal, and Heidnik was put to death for the murders of the other 2. His attorney's attempts to declare him insane were unsuccessful, partly due to Heidnik's keen investing abilities. His wealth had allowed him to wallpaper a room in his house with money. Apparently, during his arraignment he claimed the women were already there when he moved in.