Chilling Reason Why Man On Death Row Ordered A Single Olive As His Last Meal Before Execution

It is possibly the strangest final meal order to come out of death row, but there was method to his madness

If you and I were on death row, we’d probably order something classic for our final meal, like a medium-rare steak with a side of salted fries and maybe a nice bottle of wine to wash it down.But then again, we aren’t convicted killers. So naturally, we’d want our last meal to be a real treat, something to savor one last time.

That wasn’t the case for Victor Harry Feguer.In 1963, Feguer, just 28 years old, was sentenced to death by hanging.

After spending years on death row, his time came to face his fate, and it was time to request his final meal.

“One single olive, please,” is how I imagine it went.Yes, you read that right. Feguer’s last meal request was just one lonely olive, pit included.

Victor Harry Feguer was executed in 1963 after murdering a local doctorIowa Police

There’s a chilling reason behind this choice, but let’s first explore how he ended up on death row in the first place.

In July 1960, Feguer was flipping through the Yellow Pages in Iowa, calling local physicians in alphabetical order.Eventually, he dialed Dr. Edward Bartels’ number—and tragically, Dr. Bartels answered.

Feguer, who was 25 at the time, lied to Dr. Bartels, claiming that a woman needed urgent medical care.

When Dr. Bartels arrived at the scene, there was no woman waiting for help.Instead, Feguer, born in Michigan, kidnapped the 34-year-old doctor and later killed him in Illinois.

Feguer was convicted of murder and sentenced to deathGetty Stock Image

The doctor’s body was found in a cornfield, with a fatal gunshot wound to the head.

Even though Feguer insisted he wasn’t responsible for the murder and that someone else had committed the crime, he was convicted and sentenced to death.He tried to appeal the decision, but his plea was denied, leaving only the President of the United States with the power to intervene.

Despite efforts from Iowa’s governor Harold Hughes and Feguer’s attorney, President John F. Kennedy refused to grant clemency.

It’s said that Kennedy found the crime “so brutal” that he couldn’t consider sparing Feguer’s life.On March 15, 1963, Victor Feguer was executed by hanging.

The killer ordered a single olive for his final meal on death rowGetty Stock Image

Now, back to that singular olive. Why did he request just one?

Apparently, Feguer believed that by being buried with the olive pit, an olive tree would grow from his grave.This tree, he said, would be a symbol of peace—perhaps a gesture of redemption after death.

However, after his execution, some reports suggest that the guards found the olive pit still in the pocket of the suit he wore to his execution.And, as you can guess, no olive tree ever grew.