Death row inmate was given yogurt after extremely odd final meal request was denied

After spending countless years incarcerated and having only prison chow to tide you over, you'd think the majority of death row inmates would have their final meal order all sorted out in advance.

It's arguably the only thing that people facing capital punishment have to look forward to, as being put to death isn't the most exciting prospect.

But this bloke's dietary request should serve as a cautionary tale to any other death row prisoners, as what he asked for was so ridiculous that prison officials refused - and saddled him with a pot of plain yoghurt instead.

Let's have it right - who would want to leave this world with just a dairy product on their stomach? I for one, do not.

James Edward Smith, on the other hand, had no choice.

The convicted killer, 37, was slapped with a death sentence after he was found guilty of fatally shooting Larry Don Rohus, while he was robbing an office building in Houston, Texas.

On March 7, 1983, Smith strolled up to a Union National Life Insurance Company branch brandishing a gun and wearing a stocking mask, before he started to demand money.

The employee who he first encountered refused and hid behind a filing cabinet, leaving the district manager, Rohus, to deal with the situation.

Rohus complied with all the demands and began to retrieve money from the cash drawer before putting it in a plastic bag.

He gave the money to Smith and then began walking away - only for the gunman to open fire.

James Edward Smith's last meal isn't exactly appetising (Police)

The 44-year-old was shot twice - once through the heart - and was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Smith fled the building on foot and was chased down by one of Rohus' co-workers as well as other Good Samaritans.

Ultimately, the Kentucky-born killer was convicted of capital murder and was sentenced to death by lethal injection.

The former tarot-card dealer - who also confessed to six 'ritualistic' deaths at trial which were never proven - even waived his final appeals which could have potentially stalled the process in the hopes of speeding up his execution.

Prior to his first scheduled execution on 11 May, 1988, Smith was quoted as saying: "Life is a temporary situation. The spirit moves on. Death is like eating a prune in the morning. It's a natural function."

He really ran with this take on life and then requested a last meal of rhaeakunda dirt - which is exactly what it sounds like.

The killer's request was denied and he got stuck with a yoghurt pot instead (Getty stock image)

Smith intended to eat the soil as part of a voodoo ritual, which he both practiced and believed in, as he reckoned that it would assist his journey into reincarnation.

Sadly for him, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice turned down the bizarre request because, as you would expect, dirt was not included on the list of approved foods.

After all that rigmarole, Smith ended up getting a last-minute stay of execution - although his death sentence was then rescheduled for two years later.

He again refused his appeals, expressed his wishes to die and his hunger for dirt to be his last meal.

Again, Smith's strange snack was denied and the last ever item of food he ate on this earth was a plain yoghurt.

Not even flavoured.

Smith's last words after smashing through his yoghurt pot were 'Hare Krishna', which is a Hindu mantra that became particularly popular following the 15th-century Bhakti movement.

Topics: Crime, Food And Drink, Prison, True Crime, US News, Weird

Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

@livburke_