This Strange Death Row Last Meal Request In Texas Involved Voodoo Dirt

It has been a long time since the state of Texas granted the courtesy of a last meal request to inmates on death row. Requests for all kinds of meals had been seen over the years, but there was nothing like James Edward Smith's. It's the strangest of all.

Who Was James Edward Smith, The Inmate With The Strangest Last Meal?

James Edward Smith had an interesting past. He was born in Kentucky and eventually wound up in New Orleans where we worked dealing tarot cards. For whatever reason, Smith gave up the tarot cards and New Orleans and went to Houston where he worked as a taxi driver.

In Houston, Texas, Smith would go from former clairvoyant turned cabbie to cold-blooded criminal.

A Robbery Gone Bad In Houston, Texas

On March 7, 1983, James would waltz into the Union National Life Insurance Company. He walked up to the counter wearing a mask and armed with a gun, slid the glass open, and then pointed the weapon at the teller. While the teller was gripped with terror, he demanded she hand over all the money. She decided a better idea was to hide behind a filing cabinet. James turned his attention to Larry Don Rohus.

Rohus decided to appease the masked gunman and handed over everything from the cash drawer to Smith in a plastic bag. Unfortunately, Smith wouldn't just take the money and go away like a bad dream. Instead, he fired two rounds into Rohus. Larry Don Rohus would die several hours later after being rushed to the hospital.

Smith ran and was pursued by several people. Eventually, they subdued him and held him until authorities made the scene.

The Strangest Last Meal Request Of All Time In Texas And Its Voodoo Ties

If Smith had consulted the cards, would he have seen the guilty verdict and the death sentence heading his way? Either way, in 1984 that's what was handed down to him.

After a long back and forth over whether or not he was competent, the court eventually decided he was, and that the sentence would be carried out. Smith was asked what he wanted for his last meal and his answer was one no one saw coming.

James Edward Smith asked for a lump of dirt. Sounds pretty crazy to me.

It wasn't just any dirt he wanted. It was specifically rhaeakunda dirt. Supposedly it's dirt that's eaten as part of a Voodoo ritual. Smith was known to be a practitioner, and some reports even claim he had been a Voodoo priest.

The State declined his request and gave him yogurt instead.