Last Meals on Death Row

"What about those Cowb....."
Plus, Arkansas scores, goes for two!

Hey Grandpa! What's for dinner?

Check the SMU Death Penalty Page for Pending Executions!

Texas loves the 'Boys!

EXECUTION FACTS: WILLIAM PRINCE DAVIS 9/14/1999, HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS

THE CRIME: In 1978, Davis killed the owner of an ice cream shop..

LAST MEAL: Fried chicken, bowl of chili w/cheese, 5 rolls, 2 packages of BBQ chips and a six pack of coke. Asked for a pack of Pall Malls--Requested denied.

LAST WORDS: "First of all, I want to thank God Almighty through whose grace I am saved. I've come a long way. I am a different man than I was, thanks to God and others who have made it possible. I'm sorry for the pain and suffering I have caused. I hold nothing against no man. Oh, I 'd like to say in closing, what about those Cowboys."

NOTABLES: It was not the first time an inmate on the death row gurney mentioned the Dallas Cowboys. In 1997, an inmate thanked the Cowboys for "giving me a lot of enjoyment these past years." Davis, 42, spent 21 years on death row. Only 10 of the 462 condemned inmates have logged more life. The average time spent on death row in Texas is 10 years.

EXECUTION FACTS: WILLIS BARNES 9/10/1999, HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS

THE CRIME: In 1988, Willis beat and strangled an 84-year-old woman to death during a burglary of her home.

LAST MEAL: NO FINAL MEAL INFORMATION PROVIDED.

LAST WORDS: "I'd like to give love to my mother, sister and brothers and let them know I am thinking of them right now, and I want to thank God for giving me such a loving family. To the victim's family, I hope you find in your heart to forgive me as I have forgiven you."

NOTABLES: Barnes had been in prison for a string of burglaries in 1984. He was sentenced to four 30-year terms, but was released three years later due to prison overcrowding and because his offense was a property crime. The next year, the victim walked in on Barnes robbing her. She attacked him with a can of mace, but was knocked over and choked.

STAY A LITTLE BIT LONGER! On September 9, less than 30 minutes before he was to be put to death, Feltus Taylor was granted a stay. Taylor recieved the news as he was eating his last meal of seafood, french fries and cheesecake. The stay was allowed to determine if Taylor's rights had been violated. His lawyer claimed her client was given anti-pyschotic drugs on an irregular schedule during his trail without his attorneys' knowledge. It was the second last-hour stay this month.

EXECUTION FACTS: MARK GARDNER & ALAN WILLETT 9/8/1999, VARNER, ARKANSAS

THE CRIME: In 1985, Gardner killed three members of a Fort Smith family. 1993, Willett killed two members of his family

LAST MEAL: Garner: Fried shrimp, grilled salmon, garden salad, chocolate cake with a coke. Willett: Beef jerky, barbecue-flavored potato chips, onio dip, garlic dip, buttered popcorn and Pepsi.

LAST WORDS: Garner: "Blessed are those who are called to the Lord's supper. A never-ending feasts awaits me. I love the Melanie Alberson family (his pastoral advisor) and I thank them very much." Willett: None.

NOTABLES: Gardner was executed first because he had the lower inmate number, SK 901 to Willett's SK 930. The "SK" stands for safekeeping. Five relatives of Gardner's victims watched him die on closed circuit television. No relatives came to the prison to witness Willett's execution. The two executions pushed the number to 21 in the state since Arkansas resumed executing prisoners in 1990. Outside the prison gates 13 people showed to protest. A lone supporter of the death penalty was there.

On September 1, with less than two hours until Lonnie Weeks Jr. was to die by lethal injection, the U.S. Supreme Court stayed his execution. A prison spokesman said Weeks had eaten what would have been his last meal of oven-fried chicken, rice pilaf, a cucumber and onion salad, and bread and margarine. After all the legal briefs and oral arguments, the decision of Mr. Weeks fate should be reached by next June.

EXECUTION FACTS: DAVID LEISURE 9/1/1999, POTOSI, MISSOURI

THE CRIME: In 1980, Leisure, an organized-crime member, planted a bomb that killed the leader of St. Louis' Syrian crime faction.

LAST MEAL: Steak, baked potato, salad and apple pie with vanilla ice cream.

LAST WORDS: "I am an innocent man. The lawyer who represented me was on drugs. Tell my children, family and relatives I love them."

NOTABLES: Leisure was the first organized-crime figure in the United States to be executed since 1944. While the victim was eating lunch, Leisure crawled beneath his car and planted a remote-controlled bomb. When the bomb detonated the car scattered over a 200-foot radius. The victim's body was dismembered, and part was hurled against a passing car. One of Leisure's appeals lawyers said, "David Leisure is to organized crime what a mom-and-pop ice cream store is to corporate America."

EXECUTION FACTS: RAYMOND JAMES JONES 9/1/1999, HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS

THE CRIME: In a 1988, Jones set out to steal a boombox from a man he played dominoes with that night and ended up hacking him to death.

LAST MEAL: NO FINAL MEAL INFORMATION PROVIDED.

LAST WORDS: No final statement.

NOTABLES: Jones started his attack with a knife and a meat cleaver, he ended up using a second meat cleaver when the first one wasn't getting the job done. The victim, a 51-year-old Vietnamese immigrant, was also beaten with a lug wrench, drown in a bathtub, tied with an electical cord from a lamp, had kerosene poured on him and set ablaze in a closet. The appeals court rejected Jones' arguments that a.) he killed in self-defense while resisting a homosexual advance, b.) he was mentally retarded and c.) the theft of the stereo was an afterthought, meaning he should not have been charged with capital murder. Jones is the 100th condemned killer to go to the Texas death chamber during Gov. George W. Bush's 4+-years in office.

AUGUST 1999, LAST MEALS!

Last Meals on Death Row "What about those Cowb....."Plus, Arkansas scores, goes for two!

"What about those Cowb....."Plus, Arkansas scores, goes for two!

Hey Grandpa! What's for dinner?

Last Meals on Death Row

"What about those Cowb....."
Plus, Arkansas scores, goes for two!

"What about those Cowb....."
Plus, Arkansas scores, goes for two!