US3 min(s) read
Published 16:32 07 Jul 2026 GMT
The final meal for a US death row inmate in the 1990s has left many scratching their heads, decades on from his execution.
It's the 2020s, and the death penalty is less common than ever before, with over half of the world's nations choosing to abolish the punishment.
Just a quarter of nations continue to execute prisoners for their crimes, though it is usually only those who commit the worst of crimes who are sentenced to death.
As gruesome as the methods can be, those on death row are usually given one final choice before their life ends.
Many are interested in what prisoners choose for their final meals, with some inmates choosing specially prepared meals that may have been a favorite when they were on the outside.
But on occasion, there are some meal choices which can leave many confused, and this might be the most peculiar of them all.
Smith was executed by lethal injection for murder at the age of 37, back in April 1990.
The US citizen was found guilty of fatally shooting insurance executive Larry D. Rohus during a robbery of a second-floor cashier's office, located near the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, on March 7, 1983.
Smith initially requested a lump of rhaeakunda dirt for his final meal, an odd ask at first, until it was found that this specific dirt was used in voodoo rituals.
The inmate thought it may help him in reincarnation, but the Texas Department of Criminal Justice denied Smith's request.
In the end, Smith settled for a cup of yoghurt.
Despite his execution being scheduled for 1988, the date was pushed back after his mom's lawyers appealed for a stay of execution.
As for his trial, Smith tried to escape during the jury selection process, running from the courthouse, though he would be captured a few blocks away before being put back into custody.
He would be found guilty of murder and sentenced to death, with his appeals proving unsuccessful as the sentence was upheld by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 1987.
As reported by AP News, Dusty Ray Spencer was pronounced dead at 6:10PM on Thursday, June 25, following a lethal injection carried out at Florida State Prison near Starke.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Spencer's final meal consisted of pizza, French fries and a milkshake.
He had been sentenced to death for fatally stabbing his wife, Karen Spencer, in January 1992.
Death row inmates in Florida are permitted to request one final meal before their execution, although the state places a $40 limit on the order and requires the food to be purchased locally.
Florida's policy differs from Texas, where officials ended the practice of allowing inmates to choose their last meal in 2011. The decision followed the execution of Lawrence Russell Brewer.
Per NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, he requested an enormous meal that included two chicken fried steaks, three fajitas, a meat lover's pizza, a pound of barbecue and a triple meat bacon cheeseburger, only to refuse to eat any of it.
