21 Of The Most Brutal Serial Killer Stories And What They Ate As Their Last Meals

The practice of granting a final meal to death row inmates has fascinated people for decades. From steak and lobster to a simple cup of coffee, the last requests of serial killers have revealed unexpected preferences and become a curious intersection of crime, culture, and psychology. Here’s a look at some of the most infamous ones:

Warning: Graphic content ahead, including stories of rape and murder.

1. John Wayne Gacy — One of the most notorious serial killers in American history, who was active in the Chicago area in the 1970s, and had at least 33 victims.

Known as the “Killer Clown” — a moniker given because of his public appearances as a clown before the discovery of his crimes — Gacy would rape and torture his victims, who were all young men and boys. He would then kill them either by asphyxiation or strangulation. Gacy was executed by lethal injection in May 1994.

His last meal: A bucket of KFC chicken, 12 fried prawns, a pound of strawberries, French fries, and a Diet Coke.

2. Ted Bundy — Kidnapped, raped, and murdered at least 30 young women and girls in the ’70s.

Bundy is often remembered not only for the sensational media coverage surrounding his trial but also for the unsettling fascination and admiration many women had for him. While Bundy officially confessed to 30 murders, investigators and experts think the true number of his victims may have been far higher, with some believing there to be as many as 100. After spending several years in prison, Bundy was executed by electric chair in January 1989.

His last meal: Bundy declined to choose, so he was given the standard last meal provided at Florida State Prison: Steak cooked medium-rare, eggs over easy, hash browns, toast with butter and jelly, milk, and juice.

3. Aileen Wuornos — Murdered and robbed six men (and possibly a seventh) while doing sex work in Florida from 1989 to 1990.

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Known as “The Damsel of Death,” Wuornos initially claimed she acted in self-defense, but she later recanted and said she wasn’t a victim and that she simply robbed and killed her victims for money. Wuornos was executed on Oct. 9, 2002.

Her last meal: Wuornos declined the last meal option and instead opted for a cup of coffee.

4. Gary Ray Bowles — Murdered six men along the East Coast in 1994, targeting older gay men.

Known as the “I-95 Killer,” Bowles was reportedly motivated by hatred and personal trauma. He was captured later in 1994, sentenced to death in Florida, and executed by lethal injection in 2019.

His last meal: Three cheeseburgers, bacon, and French fries.

5. Oscar Ray Bolin — Savagely murdered multiple young women in Florida during the 1980s.

Bolin was arrested in 1990 after his ex-wife’s husband tipped off authorities. While awaiting execution, Bolin’s case drew further attention because he married Rosalie Martinez, a member of his defense team who left her then-husband to marry him. Bolin was eventually executed by lethal injection in 2016 after a lengthy trial and decades of appeals.

His last meal: A medium-rare rib-eye steak, baked potato with butter and sour cream, salad with iceberg lettuce, cucumber, and tomato, baked garlic bread, lemon meringue pie, and a bottle of Coca-Cola.

6. David Alan Gore — Committed six brutal murders in Florida between 1981 and 1983, and was often accompanied by his cousin, Fred Waterfield.

Together, Gore and Waterfield were given the moniker the “Killing Cousins.” They would abduct, rape, and murder women and teenage girls, often using Gore’s position as an auxiliary sheriff’s deputy to lure victims. Gore was arrested after a failed escape attempt by 17-year-old Lynn Elliott, whose murder led to his capture. He was executed by lethal injection in 2012 after spending 28 years on death row.

His last meal: Fried chicken, French fries, and butter pecan ice cream.

7. William Bonin — Raped and murdered at least 21 teenage boys and young men in Southern California between 1979 and 1980.

Known as the “Freeway Killer,” Bonin would lure victims into his van, often with help from accomplices, then assault and kill them, dumping their bodies along freeways. Caught in 1980, he was convicted of 14 murders and died by lethal injection in 1996 — California’s first to be carried out by that method.

His last meal: Two large pepperoni and sausage pizzas, three pints of coffee ice cream, and three six-packs of Coca-Cola.

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8. Bobby Joe Long — Serial rapist and murderer who terrorized Florida’s Tampa Bay area in 1984, killing at least 10 women after previously assaulting dozens.

Known as the “Classified Ad Rapist,” Long would target his victims after finding them through personal ads in Florida, thus being called the “Classified Ad Rapist.” Long’s crime spree ended when 17-year-old Lisa McVey, whom he abducted and later released, provided crucial information that led to his arrest. Convicted of multiple crimes, Long was sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection in 2019.

His last meal: Roast beef, bacon, French fries, and soda.

9. Stephen Peter Morin — Known for drifting across the US during the 1970s and ‘80s, abducting and murdering mostly young women.

Given the moniker “The Chameleon” because he used multiple fake identities, Morin is believed to have had at least 40 victims, but the exact number is unknown. He was arrested in Texas in December 1981, shortly after attempting to abduct another young woman, Margaret “Margy” Palm. In a wild turn, Palm had reportedly talked Morin into surrendering himself peacefully. Morin later pleaded guilty to his charges and was executed on March 13, 1985.

His last meal: A T-bone steak, baked potato, butter, sweet green peas, bread rolls, banana pudding, and coffee.

10. Rhonda Belle Martin — Killed her husband, mother, and five of her children, using rat poison in the 1940s and ’50s.

Interestingly, one of Martin’s victims — her stepson, who later became her fifth husband — actually survived an attempted poisoning, but was left paralyzed. She was executed in 1957, becoming the last woman to be electrocuted and executed in the state of Alabama until 2002.

Her last meal: A hamburger, mashed potatoes, cinnamon rolls, and coffee.

11. Danny Rolling — Extremely brutal serial killer who murdered five college students in Gainesville, Florida, in 1990.

Known as the “Gainesville Ripper,” Rolling’s crimes were marked by extreme brutality and staging of the scenes. After an unrelated burglary, he was arrested and then linked to the killings by DNA. Rolling confessed to them and other murders and was executed in 2006. His crimes would actually go on to inspire elements of the film Scream.

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His last meal: Lobster tail, butterfly shrimp, baked potato, strawberry cheesecake, and sweet tea.

12. John Fautenberry — Long-haul truck driver who turned into a serial killer, murdering at least five people across different states in the early ’90s, usually during robberies.

Because of his transient lifestyle, Fautenberry was able to target strangers he met on the road. He was eventually captured in Juneau, Alaska, in March 1991, and then extradited to Ohio. He confessed to multiple killings and was eventually executed after spending years on death row.

His last meal: Two eggs sunny side up, two pieces of fried bologna, two pieces of toast with butter and jelly, four slices of tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise, fried potatoes, four pieces of white bread, two 3 Musketeers candy bars, and two packs of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

13. John Martin Scripps — English serial killer who posed as a tourist in the mid-1990s.

Nicknamed the “Garden City Butcher” or “Tourist from Hell,” Scripps murdered and dismembered at least three fellow travelers in Singapore and Thailand using butchery techniques he learned in prison, and was eventually caught attempting to use their identities. He was convicted and hanged in Singapore in 1996, making him the first Briton executed there post-independence.

His last meal: Pizza and hot chocolate.

14. Jack Harrison Trawick — Aka the “Birmingham Killer,” convicted of two murders and suspected of several more in Alabama.

In 1992, Trawick killed Aileen Pruitt and Stephanie Gach, receiving a life sentence for the first crime and the death penalty for the second. Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, he later claimed responsibility for other killings, though most were never verified. Trawick even reportedly taunted his victims’ families from prison by describing details of the murders and showing no remorse in letters and drawings that were posted to the internet. After years of appeals, Trawick was executed by lethal injection in 2009.

His last meal: Fried chicken, French fries, onion soup, and a roll.

15. Sean Sellers — Teenage serial killer from California.

Sellers was just 16 years old when he shot and killed a convenience store clerk during a robbery in 1985. Less than a year later, he murdered his mother, Vonda, and stepfather, Lee Bellofatto, while they slept. Sellers later claimed his actions were influenced by his obsession with Satanism and even said he was under demonic possession at the time of the murders. He was executed by lethal injection in 1999, making him the only person in the US executed for crimes committed under 17 since the death penalty’s reinstatement in 1976.

His last meal: Egg rolls, wontons, sweet and sour chicken, fried shrimp, chow mein noodles, stir-fried vegetables, three cans of V8 juice, and a Squirt soda.

16. Stephen Albert McCoy — Carried out a string of brutal crimes in the early 1980s in Texas, along with accomplice James Emery Paster.

McCoy and Paster’s offenses included abduction, rape, strangulation, and contract killings around Houston. Police eventually connected them to these crimes, leading to McCoy’s arrest. He was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. In 1989, McCoy was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas — an execution some accounts suggest may have been botched.

His last meal: A cheeseburger, French fries, and a strawberry milkshake.

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17. Charles Albanese — Poisoned family members with arsenic in order to steal their money and valuables.

Between 1980 and 1981, he murdered his mother-in-law, his wife’s grandmother, and his father, slipping arsenic into their food and drinks. Investigators eventually linked the sudden, suspicious deaths, and exhumations confirmed arsenic poisoning, leading to his arrest in 1981. He was convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to death, and in 1995, he was executed by lethal injection.

His last meal: Prime rib, baked potato, garlic bread, coffee, Coca-Cola, and pistachio ice cream.

18. Thomas Warren Whisenhant — Abducted, raped, and murdered women near Mobile County in Alabama in the 1960s to 1970s.

Between 1975 and 1976, he targeted store clerks working alone, killing and mutilating at least three victims, and even returned to one crime scene to further mutilate the body. He was arrested in 1976 after one of the murders and confessed to multiple killings. He was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death, though his case went through several retrials due to appeals and procedural issues. After spending more than 30 years on death row, he was executed by lethal injection in 2010.

His last meal: Chicken leg quarters, French fries, American cheese, orange drink, coffee, and chocolate pudding.

19. Randy Greenawalt — Became infamous for his role in one of Arizona’s most brutal prison escapes and killing sprees.

Originally convicted in 1974 for murdering two truck drivers during separate robberies, he was serving a life sentence when he escaped from prison in 1978 with fellow inmate Gary Tison and Tison’s three sons. During their 12 days on the run, the group murdered a Marine sergeant, his wife, their toddler, and teenage niece, as well as a newlywed couple, before being captured after a police chase. Greenawalt was later convicted of multiple counts of murder and sentenced to death. He was executed by lethal injection in 1997 at the age of 47.

His last meal: Two cheeseburgers, French fries with extra salt, and coffee with milk.

20. James Waybern Hall — Terrorized the South and Midwest in the 1940s.

Originally arrested for murdering his 19-year-old wife, Fayrene Clemmons, in 1944, Hall later confessed to killing at least three men he encountered while hitchhiking and claimed responsibility for as many as 20 more murders across several states. His crimes were marked by random violence and cold precision, targeting strangers who offered him rides. Hall was eventually convicted of his wife’s murder, sentenced to death, and executed by electrocution in 1946 at the age of 24.

His last meal: Steak, pork chops, and strawberry ice cream.

21. Martha Beck — One of the “Lonely Hearts Killers,” who killed several women with her partner Raymond Fernandez.

Born in 1920 in Florida, Beck met Fernandez after World War II, and together they lured women through personal ads by pretending to look for love. Beck often posed as Fernandez’s sister to gain victims’ trust. The pair would steal from and sometimes murder the women they met, and are known to have killed at least three people between 1947 and 1949, though some reports suggest there were more. They were eventually arrested, convicted of murder in New York, and both later executed by electric chair at Sing Sing Prison in 1951.

Her last meal: Fried chicken, fried potatoes, and salad.

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