Thomas J. Grasso, a murderer executed in Oklahoma in 1995, used his final words to complain that his last meal did not include the meatballs he had requested. The complaint came less than an hour before he was put to death by lethal injection on March 20, 1995, and added to public fury over his crimes and his attitude.
Crimes and conviction
In the early 1990s, Grasso strangled two elderly victims in separate attacks: an 87-year-old woman in her New York home and an 81-year-old man in Oklahoma. He stole a small amount of cash and a television set in the process. He was sentenced to death for the murder of 87-year-old Hilda Johnson in Oklahoma.
The 57-item final meal
Instead of showing remorse, Grasso made a series of self-centred requests, most notably a lavish and highly specific final meal. His order consisted of seven different components and 57 individual items:
- 24 steamed mussels
- 24 steamed clams flavoured with a wedge of lemon
- a Burger King double cheeseburger
- six barbecued spare ribs
- two strawberry milkshakes
- half a pumpkin pie with whipped cream and diced strawberries
- a can of SpaghettiOs with meatballs
Final words and public reaction
Grasso did not use his final statement to apologise to his victims. Instead, he criticised the kitchen staff for swapping one of his requested items. He said: "I did not get my SpaghettiOs, I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this." He also shared a quote from T. S. Eliot and recited the poem "A Visit with Mystery."
He was declared dead at 1.22am on March 20, 1995. Decades later, his case has fuelled debate over whether last meals should be permitted at all. Commenters on Reddit argued: "This is why some places stop last meals," and "It's a strange custom. Give someone a lovely meal before you kill them. If you've decided they should die, why give them a nice meal?" Another added: "Texas stopped doing last meal requests because people on Death Row have too much time to think up ridiculous requests."
Grasso is not the only inmate to attract criticism over final meal demands. White supremacist Lawrence Brewer, executed in 2011 for his role in the murder of James Byrd Jr, requested two chicken steaks, a triple bacon cheeseburger, fried okra, three fajitas, a pizza, a pint of ice cream and a slab of peanut butter fudge. He refused to eat any of it once it was brought to him, which many believe led Texas to end its last meal programme.
