Six pints, a single olive and a lump of dirt: Chilling final meal requests of death row inmates

It's the basis of dinner party small talk, cringeworthy team-building exercises and even the premise of some podcasts: 'What would your death row meal be?'. The question is designed to spark chatter about people's very favourite foods; but its premise is rooted in a chilling custom, whereby prisoners awaiting execution are granted a final meal before being put to death. While not a mandatory requirement for prisoners on death row in countries where the death penalty still exists, the request is often granted in the US, with the final meals written into public records of executions.

But with prisoners able to ask for anything they want, the requests can sometimes look a little unusual as convicted criminals wield their little piece of power to cause unrest and make their mark on history. A list of some such bizarre death row meal requests has recently resurfaced online which has left people baffled and disturbed in equal measure. The post on the Depths of Wikipedia Instagram page, which shares obscure entries from Wikipedia, revealed some of the weird requests from prisoners - including a single olive, a large volume of alcohol and even a 'lump of dirt'.

Here, FEMAIL reveals some of the strangest and most chilling death row meal requests in history... James Edward Smith. In 1990 James Edward Smith was sentenced to death by lethal injection for convicted murder. In April 1990, James Edward Smith was executed by lethal injection for murder. He was 37 years old. Smith fatally shot insurance executive Larry D. Rohus during a robbery inside a second-floor cashier's office near the Astrodome on March 7, 1983.

During the jury selection for his trial in Texas, Smith attempted to escape and ran from the courthouse. He only made it a few blocks before he was captured and returned to custody. After being found guilty of murder and sentenced to death, Smith appealed the sentence. However, it was upheld by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 1987. For his final meal, Smith initially requested a lump of rhaeakunda dirt. It was thought that the specific dirt was used in voodoo rituals, which Smith thought may assist him in reincarnation.

However the Texas Department of Criminal Justice denied Smith's request - so he settled on a cup of yoghurt. His initial execution was scheduled for 1988; but this was pushed back when his mother's lawyers appealed for stay of execution. He was eventually executed in 1990. Odell Barnes Jr. In 2000 Odell Barnes Jr., from Texas, was was sentenced to death by lethal injection for the 1989 murder of Helen Bass.

In 2000 Odell Barnes Jr., from Texas, was was sentenced to death by lethal injection for the 1989 murder of Helen Bass. Bass was 42 years old when she was beaten, stabbed and shot in her own home. There were also signs she may have been raped. Barnes Jr. was convicted based on forensic evidence and witness testimony which placed him at the crime scene, including traces of his semen. He also had two patches of Helen's blood on his clothes.

However, serious questions were raised over his conviction after Barnes Jr was represented by two local attorneys when the Wichita County Public Defender's office was considered unequipped to handle the case. Anti-death penalty advocates began to campaign against his conviction and attracted global media attention; even sparking diplomatic protests from the French government. Despite the international attention, Barnes was executed on March 1, 2000.

For his final meal, Barnes requested 'justice, equality and world peace.' However, it was denied because it was not actually a meal. George W Barrett. George W Barrett, from Kentucky, who was also known as The Diamond King and Bad George was an American car thief and murderer. George W Barrett, from Kentucky, also known as The Diamond King and Bad George, was an American car thief and convicted murderer.

In 1936 he became the first person sentenced to death by hanging in Lockport, Indiana. Barrett had killed FBI Agent Nelson B. Klein in a shootout on August 14, 1935, before dying, Klein shot back, hitting Barrett in the legs and crippling him. For his final meal, Barrett requested 'the largest steak in town', which was granted - but when it came to his mealtime, the convict did not eat it. After his death, a reporter who had been present for the execution spotted the steak in the jail kitchen and helped himself to it.

Lawrence Russell Brewer. Lawrence Russell Brewer, from Texas, was executed by lethal injection in 2011, 13 years after murdering James Byrd. Lawrence Russell Brewer, from Texas, was executed by lethal injection in 2011, 13 years after murdering James Byrd. Brewer ordered a huge final meal, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark. It consisted of two chicken fried steaks smothered in gravy with sliced onions, a triple meat bacon cheeseburger with fixings on the side, a cheese omelette with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and jalapeños, a large bowl of fried okra with ketchup.