OHIO LAST MEAL
WILLIAM HENRY SMITH
March 8, 2005

...sharing a cherry cake recipe...

Last Meal: Smith requested Doritos and Pepsi but did not eat them, he did eat a ham, turkey and bologna sandwich with tomato and onions as his last meal. He did not eat breakfast or shower before the morning execution.

The skinny: Smith was executed for stabbing and then raping the dying, bleeding woman he had met in a bar.

More skinny: Smith met the woman at the Race Inn in Cincinnati. After several hours of socializing and drinking, they went to the victim's residence with her, where they engaged in sexual intercourse after drinking and allegedly using cocaine that belonged to him. Smith eventually left the apartment, but returned when he discovered that some of his cocaine was missing. Upon returning, he confronted the victim, but she denied taking any of the cocaine.

He then proceeded to stab the victim approximately 10 times in the neck, right breast, and right chest. While the victim was laying on the bed bleeding to death, Smith proceeded to have intercourse with her again. He then stole 2 televisions and a stereo system belonging to the victim. Upon arrest, Smith initially denied any involvement in the offense, but later admitted to stabbing the victim in the neck and having sex with her after stabbing her 8 more times.

Legal machinations: The Ohio Parole Board unanimously upheld his sentence, but a federal district judge in Cincinnati had stayed his execution on grounds that the state did not thoroughly investigate his claim that his behavior was affected by brain damage. An appellate court overturned the stay earlier in the week, saying a scan failed to confirm such damage.

Last words and such: Smith listened to a tape of R&B artist Sade and read the Bible and The Ruins of Ambrai, a fantasy novel, in his last 24 hours.

Smith got about three hours' sleep Monday night.

He was upbeat before the execution, visiting family, chatting about Cincinnati sports with the execution team and sharing a cherry cake recipe with them.

In a final statement that lasted four minutes, Smith took responsibility for the crime and said he had given himself to the Lord. "I hope you have the capacity to forgive," he said, addressing the victim's grandson, who watched with his hands clutched in front of his face. "I cannot control anything from this day. Find the right way. Be a better person than I was," Smith said.

Factoids: Smith was the....

7th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
951st murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Ohio in 2005
16th murderer executed in Ohio since 1976