OHIO LAST MEAL
DARRELL WAYNE "GATOR" FERGUSON
August 8, 2006

...See ya later, gator...

Last/Special Meal: For his last meal, Ferguson had three t-bone steaks cooked medium rare, two breaded chicken breasts with a side of ranch dressing, chocolate ice cream and Mountain Dew.

The skinny: Ferguson was executed for the Christmastime murders of three elderly, disabled Dayton residents in 2001.

More skinny: Following his conviction for burglary, Ferguson served time in a drug treatment program and received a 2-day pass on December 21, 2001. His murder spree began four days later on Christmas Day in Dayton when he attacked and killed a disabled relative with a kitchen knife. Ferguson stole two televisions and a radio that he sold to buy crack cocaine. The next day, Ferguson broke into the home of an elderly couple who were his former neighbors, attacked them with a kitchen knife, then beat and stomped them to death.

Ferguson waived his right to a jury, pled guilty to all charges, and waived his right to presentation of any mitigating evidence. A court-appointed clinical psychologist then conducted an evaluation of the defendant and deemed him competent of standing trial.

Young Ferguson...Ferguson, who grew up in Dayton, frequently wandered the streets and spent nights in warehouses and alleys. He said at age 9 he began huffing - inhaling chemical vapors to achieve a feeling of euphoria. He started drinking at 15 and using crack cocaine at 18.

A real fun guy...Ferguson called Satan his lord and said he enjoyed killing the three people, keeping his promise to show the family of his victims no remorse for stabbing and beating them and stomping on them with steel-toed boots.

Last words and such: "Mom, Dad, I love you both. I love you a lot. I wish you all the best." Ferguson, who previously said he worshipped Satan, made a sign that some consider to be a symbol of the devil as he died. While he was on the lethal-injection table — with his left arm extended palm up — he extended his index and little fingers to make the sign and held that pose for several minutes before lapsing into unconsciousness.

Afterward, there was as little sympathy for Ferguson as he showed his victims, one of whom was on crutches, another had cancer, and a third was in a wheelchair.

Factoids: Ferguson was the...

34th murderer executed in U.S. in 2006
1038th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
4th murderer executed in Ohio in 2006
23rd murderer executed in Ohio since 1976

Ferguson's family will donate his body to Wright State University for biological study.