Death row inmates in one state now banned from requesting final meal after one man's controversial decision

Warning: this article discusses violence and racism which some readers may find distressing.

Back in 2011, a sudden change to Texas law meant that death row inmates would no longer be granted their final meal requests.

The controversial decision was fronted by one of the southern state's senators, John Whitmire, and triggered mass debate at the time.

Many true crime spectators wondered at the time what could have possibly prompted the abolishment of such a long-standing tradition.

It eventually became apparent, however, that the shock ruling could be pinned on one man - convicted killer, Lawrence Russell Brewer.

In September of that year, Brewer was executed via lethal injection for the brutal hate-killing of James Byrd Jr 13 years earlier.

Along with two friends, Shawn Berry and John King, a 31-year-old Brewer offered Byrd - an African American man local to the Jasper area of Texas - a ride home in his pick-up truck.

The ban was announced in 2011 (Getty Stock Images)

Instead of escorting him home, however, the trio of white supremacists severely beat the 49-year-old vacuum salesman before tying him to the back of their Ford and dragging him along an asphalt road.

A coroner later ruled that Byrd had likely been conscious throughout the majority of the incident, and that he'd only died after hitting a culvert, which severed his head and one of his arms. The group subsequently dumped Byrd's remains in front of an African-American cemetery.

The FBI were alerted of the devastating hate-crime, which was immediately linked to known racists Brewer, Berry and King. Following a trial, both Brewer - who was 31 at the time of the killing - and King were handed the death penalty. Berry was sentenced to life in prison.

Prior to being put to death in 2011, however, Brewer was asked what he'd like to eat for his final meal on earth, after which he made a lengthy request of two chicken fried steaks, a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger and a portion of fried okra.

The murderer also pleaded for a pound of barbecue, a trio of fajitas, a meat pizza, a pint of ice cream, and a slab of peanut butter fudge for his final meal. He'd also made a special request for three root beers.

Brewer was put to death in 2011 (Joe Raedle/Newsmakers)

Despite prison staff adhering to his request, however, Brewer refused to take a single bite when his extravagant meal was placed before him.

He reportedly informed blindsided guards that he simply wasn't hungry anymore, and on 21 September of that year, he was eventually put to death with an empty stomach.

Texas lawmakers were naturally horrified by both Brewer's nerve at the time, and by the colossal amount of food being wasted, with State Senator John Whitmire accusing the killer of trying to 'make a mockery' of the 87-year-old system

"He never gave his victim an opportunity for a last meal," Whitmire told press at the time, announcing a new ban on death row meals.

"Why in the world are you going to treat him like a celebrity two hours before you execute him?

"It's wrong to treat a vicious murderer in this fashion. Let him eat the same meal on the chow line as the others."

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