Death row inmate orders pizza for homeless as final meal

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Philip Workman, who was executed Wednesday morning, requested that a vegetarian pizza be donated to a homeless person.

Prison officials could not fulfill that request but anonymous donors ordered pizzas for people at the Nashville Rescue Mission. The pizzas were delivered Wednesday night at the nonprofit organization, which is located outside downtown Nashville.

Workman died by lethal injection. He was pronounced dead at 1:38 a.m.

By death row protocol, an inmate can request a last meal within reason.

"We are not in a position to do that, but if he chooses to have a meal tonight, he can eat in the cafeteria with the other inmates," Tennessee Department of Correction Spokeswoman Dorinda Carter said Tuesday.

Although most diners at the mission did not know about Workman's wish, those who found out seemed surprised even inspired.

"It says we can be forgiven," said one man in the kitchen, where there were stacks of pizza boxes. "Look at what he's doing for us."

Prison officials said they were focused on execution protocol Tuesday night and Wednesday morning and so delivering a pizza was not a priority.

However, Riverbend Maximum Security Institution did receive several phone calls Wednesday from people asking what they could do. The prison referred them to the Nashville Rescue Mission.

Workman received the death sentence for killing Memphis Police Lt. Ronald Oliver in 1981.