People are infuriated over death row inmate's huge final meal

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By Asiya Ali

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Social media users are outraged at the colossal amount of food a death row killer had as his last meal before execution.

Louis Bernard Gaskin, 56, was convicted for the murder of Robert Sturmfels, 56, and Georgette Sturmfels, 55, on December 20, 1989.

Gaskin - who was dubbed the "Ninja killer" because he wore all-black ninja clothing during his crimes - shot the Sturmfels with a .22-caliber rifle after entering their winter home in Flagler County, which is on Florida’s northeastern coast.

He was also convicted of armed robbery and burglary as he stole a clock, two lamps, and a videocassette recorder from the victims' home which were all later found at his residence. The robbed items were intended as Christmas presents for his girlfriend.

In addition to his crimes, Gaskin was also convicted of the attempted murders of Joseph and Mary Rector, a couple who lived nearby to the Sturmfels.

Back in 1990, jurors voted 8-4 in favor of the death penalty, which the judge accepted. Florida law now demands a unanimous jury vote for capital punishment, as reported by Metro.

Per The New York Post, Gaskin spoke to the psychologist after his arrest and reportedly said his guilt "was always there," adding: "I knew that I was wrong. I wasn’t insane."

According to the outlet, the Department of Corrections spokesperson, Kayla McLaughlin Smith, revealed to media reporters that the inmate woke up at 4:45 AM on Wednesday (April 12) and had his final meal at 9:45 AM.

For his last meal - which comes over three decades after his conviction - he had BBQ pork ribs, pork and turkey neck, Buffalo wings, shrimp fried rice, French fries, and water.

Many people were left angered by the large amount of food that Gaskin chose before his execution. One user wrote: "Should have fed his coward a** cold gruel."

Another person interjected: "Killers should never get a special meal. They should get what the rest of the inmates are having."

A third commented: "They should've fed this scum a bowl of plain oatmeal and a bag of rice cakes!!"

Gaskin received the lethal cocktail of drugs at 6:02 PM and it caused him to breathe heavily as his chest rose and fell under a white sheet. He was unresponsive when the prison’s warden went to check whether he was still conscious at 6:05 PM, per NBC News.

His breathing seemed to stop at 6:07 PM. A doctor then entered the death chamber at 6:14 PM to examine him and pronounced him dead a minute later.

None of the victims' relatives attended to witness Gaskin's execution. He did not meet with a spiritual adviser and was only visited by his sister.

Prior to the inmate's death, he was asked if he had a final statement and said: "Justice is not about the crime. It’s not about the criminal. It’s about the law," as cited by the publication. He mentioned the legal proceedings surrounding his case and the appeals before adding: "Look at my case."

Featured image credit: Tracy King / Alamy

People are infuriated over death row inmate's huge final meal

vt-author-image

By Asiya Ali

Article saved!Article saved!

Social media users are outraged at the colossal amount of food a death row killer had as his last meal before execution.

Louis Bernard Gaskin, 56, was convicted for the murder of Robert Sturmfels, 56, and Georgette Sturmfels, 55, on December 20, 1989.

Gaskin - who was dubbed the "Ninja killer" because he wore all-black ninja clothing during his crimes - shot the Sturmfels with a .22-caliber rifle after entering their winter home in Flagler County, which is on Florida’s northeastern coast.

He was also convicted of armed robbery and burglary as he stole a clock, two lamps, and a videocassette recorder from the victims' home which were all later found at his residence. The robbed items were intended as Christmas presents for his girlfriend.

In addition to his crimes, Gaskin was also convicted of the attempted murders of Joseph and Mary Rector, a couple who lived nearby to the Sturmfels.

Back in 1990, jurors voted 8-4 in favor of the death penalty, which the judge accepted. Florida law now demands a unanimous jury vote for capital punishment, as reported by Metro.

Per The New York Post, Gaskin spoke to the psychologist after his arrest and reportedly said his guilt "was always there," adding: "I knew that I was wrong. I wasn’t insane."

According to the outlet, the Department of Corrections spokesperson, Kayla McLaughlin Smith, revealed to media reporters that the inmate woke up at 4:45 AM on Wednesday (April 12) and had his final meal at 9:45 AM.

For his last meal - which comes over three decades after his conviction - he had BBQ pork ribs, pork and turkey neck, Buffalo wings, shrimp fried rice, French fries, and water.

Many people were left angered by the large amount of food that Gaskin chose before his execution. One user wrote: "Should have fed his coward a** cold gruel."

Another person interjected: "Killers should never get a special meal. They should get what the rest of the inmates are having."

A third commented: "They should've fed this scum a bowl of plain oatmeal and a bag of rice cakes!!"

Gaskin received the lethal cocktail of drugs at 6:02 PM and it caused him to breathe heavily as his chest rose and fell under a white sheet. He was unresponsive when the prison’s warden went to check whether he was still conscious at 6:05 PM, per NBC News.

His breathing seemed to stop at 6:07 PM. A doctor then entered the death chamber at 6:14 PM to examine him and pronounced him dead a minute later.

None of the victims' relatives attended to witness Gaskin's execution. He did not meet with a spiritual adviser and was only visited by his sister.

Prior to the inmate's death, he was asked if he had a final statement and said: "Justice is not about the crime. It’s not about the criminal. It’s about the law," as cited by the publication. He mentioned the legal proceedings surrounding his case and the appeals before adding: "Look at my case."

Featured image credit: Tracy King / Alamy