The 10 strangest and most haunting final requests of notorious serial killers, revealed

There’s something chilling about the final moments of serial killers. We’re morbidly fascinated by what they said, did, or asked for before their executions — but the truth is, those last requests aren’t nearly as glamorous or indulgent as people think.

While many assume death row inmates can order anything they want for a final meal, the reality is very different. Rules vary by state, and requests for alcohol, tobacco, or anything illegal are always denied. Some states don’t even allow last requests at all.

Here are ten of the most unsettling final requests and moments from some of the world’s most infamous killers.

Credit: Canva

Richard Kenneth Djerf

Just last week, after more than 30 years on death row, Richard Kenneth Djerf was executed in Arizona on the 17th October for the 1993 murders of the Luna family — Albert, Patricia, and their two children. In an act of twisted revenge, Djerf brutally killed all four family members and assaulted the teenage daughter.

Before his execution, he asked for a double cheeseburger, onion rings with ketchup, and cherry pie with whipped cream. His final words were not made public.

Nelson Shelton

Alongside his brother, Nelson Shelton was sentenced to death for beating a man to death during an 18-hour drinking binge in 1992. Before his execution, Nelson made one final request — to donate his kidney to his sick mother.

He wasn’t a match, but his brother Steven, who was also on death row, ended up donating one of his kidneys instead.

John Wayne Gacy

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John Wayne Gacy, who murdered and buried at least 33 boys and young men beneath his home in Chicago, made one of the most bizarrely fitting requests imaginable. He asked for a bucket of KFC, fried shrimp, French fries, strawberries, and an A&W root beer — a nod to his days managing KFC restaurants and insisting people call him “colonel”.

His last words? A defiant “Kiss my ass”.

Credit: Canva

Victor Feguer

Executed by hanging in 1963, Victor Harry Feguer’s final request was simple but deeply symbolic — a single olive, pit included.

He told guards he hoped an olive tree would grow from his grave “as a sign of peace”.
It never did, but the haunting sentiment still makes his story one of the most memorable.

James Edward Smith

Texas killer James Edward Smith, convicted of murdering an insurance executive during a robbery, didn’t want food at all. He requested a lump of “rhaeakunda” dirt, used in voodoo rituals, believing it would help his reincarnation after death.

When his request was denied, he reluctantly settled for plain yogurt. Two very different things there, James.

Ted Bundy

Before his death in 1989, Ted Bundy refused to make any special last request, so he was given the standard prison meal of steak, eggs, hash browns, and toast. He didn’t say much in his final moments either, reportedly staring blankly ahead as he was strapped into the electric chair.

Bundy’s ashes were later scattered in Washington’s Cascade Mountains, the same area where he left the remains of his final victims.

Gary Gilmore

Utah murderer Gary Gilmore famously refused to appeal his death sentence, insisting the state carry out his execution. Before facing the firing squad in 1977, he told officials “let’s do it”.

He also asked that his eyes be donated to science. Hours later, his corneas were transplanted into two patients — inspiring the punk song “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes”. Nasty.

Aileen Wuornos

The sex worker-turned-serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who murdered seven men in Florida, declined a formal last meal and instead requested a single cup of coffee.

Before her 2002 execution, her final words were eerily calm: “I’ll be back — like Independence Day, with Jesus. June 6th. Like the movie, big mother ship and all.”

Credit: Netflix

Richard Ramirez

Nicknamed The Night Stalker, Richard Ramirez was convicted of 13 murders in California but was suspected of many more. Unlike most on this list, Ramirez didn’t live to see his execution — he died of cancer in prison in 2013 after 23 years on death row.

His last known meal was chicken cacciatore, eaten in a hospital bed before his death from lymphoma.

Carl Panzram

Convicted killer and self-confessed rapist Carl Panzram spent his last moments full of rage. When guards tried to prepare him for hanging in 1930, he reportedly snarled: “Hurry it up, you Hoosier bastard! I could hang a dozen men while you’re fooling around!”

He refused to repent or apologize for any of his crimes.

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Featured image credit: Netflix