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Ahead of his execution on September 21, 2011, Brewer submitted a final meal request that was, to put it mildly, extreme.
According to VT, the large order included two chicken fried steaks, fried okra with ketchup, a cheese omelet with ground beef, jalapenos and bell peppers, a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger and three fajitas with all the trimmings. But it didn’t stop there. He also wanted one pound of barbecue with half a loaf of white bread, meat lover’s pizza, vanilla ice cream, peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts, and three root beers.
The state prepared every last item. But when it was time to eat, Brewer didn’t touch a single bite. When asked if he had any final words, he simply said: “No. I have no final statement.” He was pronounced dead at 6:21 PM by lethal injection.
“Enough is enough”
Texas lawmakers were furious. State Senator John Whitmire wasted no time, firing off a letter to the executive director of the Texas Criminal Justice Division:
“Enough is enough… it is extremely inappropriate to give a person sentenced to death such a privilege. It’s a privilege which the perpetrator did not provide to their victim.”
The executive director agreed – and just like that, an 87-year tradition was gone. No death row iSnmate in Texas would ever again be allowed to choose their final meal that way.
For the Byrd family, Brewer’s execution brought a painful but necessary sense of closure. His sister, Clara Taylor, addressed the moment, saying: “Hopefully, today we have been reminded that racial hatred and prejudice can lead to tragic consequences for both the victim and his family, as well as the perpetrator and his family. Our sincere condolences to the family of Lawrence Brewer.”