Crime is an inevitable part of the world. Somewhere or the other, there would be that one person who is too twisted to see the world the way most people do, or as in some cases too dysfunctional to be within the reach of anything psychologically human. These people take things to the extremes, doing things that are unbelievably gruesome.

Every criminal to be executed after being convicted by the court of law is offered to express their last words. Here we have collected some of those last words of criminals, most of whom expressed no remorse for their actions.

1 Timothy McVeigh

Crime: Bombing of Oklahoma City’s federal government building, killing 168 people

Death: Lethal injection on June 11, 2001

Last Words:

“I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.”

Timothy McVeigh grew up in a typical working class environment and was bullied as a child. After graduating from U. S. Army Infantry School at 20, he joined the army and received many service medals during his service until he finally decided to leave and was honorably discharged in 1991. He took up many jobs after that and often felt angry towards the government, which took a nasty turn when he received a letter asking for the return of over a thousand dollars because he was overpaid during his service.

In the early 1990s, McVeigh became increasingly paranoid about the government exploiting people through taxes and laws. He grew angry at how the federal government handled Waco siege and Ruby Ridge raid, which resulted in many deaths. To retaliate, he detonated a truck bomb at Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995.(source)

2 Peter Manuel, “The Beast of Birkenshaw”

Crime: Killed at least 8 people, and raped

Death: Hanged on July 11, 1958

Last Words:

“Turn up the radio and I’ll go quietly.”

Peter Manuel was born in New York City and later migrated to Britain. When he was young he was convicted of theft and sexual assaults many times, and served a prison sentence for nine years. In a period of two years he went to become a serial killer, starting with his first victim Anne Kneilands, aged 17, whom he raped and bludgeoned to death. One of his notable crimes was the murder of the Smarts family. Manuel stayed for almost a week in their house after killing them, eating their leftover meals. He left the house after stealing new banknotes from their home (which were eventually traced leading to his arrest), stole their car and even gave a lift to the policeman who was investigating the murders.(source)

3 Ted Bundy

Crime: Killing, kidnapping and raping more than 30 women

Death: Electric chair on January 4, 1989

Last Words:

“I’d like you to give my love to my family and friends.”

Ted Bundy was a graduate from University of Washington and a law school dropout. His early killings were mostly unknown because he gave different accounts of them to different people. He approached his victims feigning injury or disability, and was charismatic when he interacted with them. He often visited the bodies of his victims to have sex with them until the body would decompose or is eating by wild animals. He also kept pictures and sometimes the severed heads of his victims as souvenirs at his home.(source)

4  Aileen Wuornos

Crime: Killed 7 men between 1989 and 1990

Death: Lethal injection on October 9, 2002

Last Words:

“I’d just like to say I’m sailing with the rock, and I’ll be back like Independence Day, with Jesus, June 6th. Like the movie, big mother ship and all. I’ll be back.”

Aileen Wuornos was abandoned by her mother when she was four and brought up by her grandparents until she was 15 when she was thrown out of her house by her grandfather. She started supporting herself by working as a prostitute, was arrested at the age of 18 for firing a pistol from a moving vehicle and later married a 69-year-old man who got a restraining order against her after she hit him with his own cane. She was arrested for a few more times for theft, robbery and assault. Her stories about the murders she committed between the years 1989 and 1990 were inconsistent. She claimed they tried to rape her while she was working as a prostitute and that she killed them in self-defense.(source)

5 Peter Kürten, “The Vampire of Düsseldorf”

Crime: Numerous murders, rape, theft and arson

Death: Guillotine on July 2, 1931

Last Words:

“Tell me—after my head is chopped off, will I still be able to hear, at least for a moment, the sound of my own blood gushing from the stump of my neck? That would be the pleasure to end all pleasures.”

Peter Kürten was the third among thirteen children of a very poor family who shared a one room apartment in Germany . His father was an alcoholic who often abused and sexually assaulted his mother and sisters. As he grew up, Kürten developed unhealthy sexual tendencies and sought pleasure in stabbing animals while having sexual intercourse with them. He eventually started doing the same with young girls and women, stabbing or hammering while he raped them. His first documented rape victim being a 10-year-old girl. Kürten was also arrested several times for theft and arson. During his trial he blamed his childhood and German penal system for what he had become and expressed no remorse for his actions.(source)