Here are 10 surprising facts about the Beatles’ final track “Now and Then,” a song that finally saw the light of day in November 2023—more than five decades after the Fab Four went their separate ways. Fans were thrilled to hear a previously unreleased piece, especially given that John Lennon and George Harrison had long since passed. Below we dive into the behind‑the‑scenes details that make this release truly historic.

10 Yoko Ono Supplied the Recording

In its original form, “Now and Then” was among the unreleased demos of songs written and sung by John Lennon in the late 1970s, which Lennon’s widow, singer/songwriter/multimedia artist Yoko Ono, gifted to the remaining Beatles for their mid-1990s Anthology.

This kind of co‑operation is somewhat surprising considering all the reports that have come out over the years about friction between Ono and the other three Beatles, largely due to her presence in the studio during Beatles recording sessions. While McCartney himself denies that Ono was responsible for breaking up the band, he did admit: “I don’t think any of us particularly liked it. It was an interference in the workplace.” He said that Lennon and Ono’s relationship “was bound to have an effect on the dynamics of the group.”

There were a total of four recordings given to McCartney. The first two songs created using this collection of demos, “Real Love” and “Free as a Bird,” were released on the anthology series, while “Grow Old with Me,” which had been released on the Lennon/Ono album “Milk and Honey” in 1984, was passed over.

The technical challenges involved in producing “Now and Then” resulted in the project being shelved for more than 25 years before finally being issued as a single in 2023 with a remixed version of the band’s first UK single, “Love Me Do.” Ono highly praised the completed version of “Now and Then.”

9 Used AI for Technical Issues

While two of John Lennon’s songs from the old cassette demos made their way onto The Beatles Anthology in the 1990s, it took decades longer for “Now and Then” to be released because there were technical issues that could not be overcome at the time. However, technological advancements finally made it possible to do what was needed.

The piano on the original recording overshadowed Lennon’s vocals in places. As McCartney explained, “Every time we wanted a little bit more of John’s voice, this piano came through and clouded the picture.” AI was used to separate Lennon’s voice from the sound of the piano on the demo, allowing it to be mixed the way they wanted.

Some critics have questioned whether or not Lennon would have approved of this song being released. In a mini‑documentary, Now and Then–The Beatles Last Song, McCartney expressed confidence in his belief that Lennon would be in favor of this production. So did Lennon’s own son, Sean, who said, “My dad would have loved that. He was never shy to use recording technology—I think it’s really beautiful.”

8 George Harrison’s Opinion of the Demo

George Harrison was very critical of the demo when he first heard it, saying that he thought it was “f**king rubbish.” His reaction was reportedly due to the poor quality of the demo and not the song itself. Ringo Starr also had a negative reaction, later explaining that Lennon’s voice was “hidden,” which “brought to the fore to the three of us that he was gone.”

Since Harrison died long before Lennon’s vocals could be successfully extracted from the demo, he never heard the completed song, but his widow, Olivia, feels like he gave his approval from beyond. She believed this to be true as a result of something that happened when Paul McCartney called to talk to her about the song. She happened to be looking at a clock, recently relocated to her mantle piece, which George Harrison had bought many years ago, with scrabble letters attached to it that said: “Now and Then.” She took this as a sign that it was alright with him to release the song.

7 Some Musicians Were in the Dark

It’s difficult to imagine what it would feel like to be a musician working on a historic recording like the final Beatles song, especially if you didn’t know what you were contributing to until after the fact. At one point, Paul McCartney decided the track would benefit from string accompaniment. So he brought in an orchestra.

The music for the string arrangement, composed by McCartney, Ben Foster, and Giles Martin, was displayed on stands for the musicians to read, but since the project was top secret, they were just told that it was something for McCartney and were unaware that they were actually accompanying a previously unreleased Beatles song.

“They were excited to be playing on this new piece of music, even though they didn’t quite know what it was,” said McCartney, who praised the musicians’ ability.

6 It Took 45 Years to Finish

“Now and Then” was written by John Lennon and recorded as a demo in the late 1970s within just a few years of his being murdered at the age of 40 in 1980. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that the remaining Beatles could begin work on the project. George Harrison laid down a guitar track in 1995, but his contribution would be posthumous since he died of cancer in 2001, over 20 years before the song’s ultimate release.

The reason it took so long to complete production on the track, once the demo was in Paul McCartney’s possession, is that the group had to wait for technology to catch up with what they wanted to do: extract Lennon’s vocals from the sound of the piano on the original tape.

Director Peter Jackson used cutting‑edge audio de‑mixing technology for 2021’s The Beatles: Get Back that allowed him to separate sounds and voices into different tracks. McCartney requested this technology for this song. However, McCartney has made it clear that Lennon’s voice was not manufactured. His genuine vocals are featured in the song.

After this, McCartney and Ringo Starr were finally able to finish the project, which was produced by McCartney alongside Giles Martin, the son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin. So it took 45 years, including the decades it was shelved, for “Now and Then” to come to fruition.

5 Lennon’s Parting Words to McCartney

John Lennon’s last words to Paul McCartney when they met in person for the final time were reportedly: “Think about me every now and then, old friend.” According to a famous story, he said this following the well‑documented evening the two spent together in 1976, during which they considered accepting an offer to reunite on an episode of Saturday Night Live.

Since the phrase that serves as the song’s title, “Now and Then,” is heard throughout the song, it is understandable that some have speculated the song was a message from Lennon to McCartney. In fact, Paul McCartney himself thinks this was the case.

The possibility that Lennon may have been writing to McCartney makes this tender and poignant song even more compelling. While McCartney admitted there were multiple discussions among the former bandmates about reuniting prior to Lennon’s death, they never came to a unanimous agreement. He doesn’t know if the four would have eventually reformed had Lennon lived.

4 Recorded at Home

The original demo for “Now and Then,” featuring John Lennon’s vocals, which is part of the completed production, was not recorded in a studio but at home. It may not be unusual for modern artists to record demos and released tracks at home, but they normally use a room with sophisticated equipment that’s been set up for this purpose.

However, in this case, Lennon simply recorded himself singing the song on a boom box in his New York apartment at the Dakota. His son Sean, who was only five years old when John Lennon died, remembers his father frequently playing music around the house and recording demos on cassettes. On this rough track, the sound of a television can even be heard in the background.

In order to have all four members performing on the track, this tape of Lennon singing the song had to be used because, of course, he was no longer alive when the project went into production. It is ironic that such a simple recording is at the heart of something as historically and culturally relevant as the last Beatles song. Still, at the same time, it seems strangely appropriate.

3 Deeply Emotional Reaction after AI Fix

Many fans have reacted very emotionally to this previously unreleased recording of John Lennon’s voice so long after his death, but Lennon’s clean vocal track also had a powerful impact on those in the studio after being extracted from the original demo. Ringo Starr described what it was like to hear this purified recording of his former bandmate singing “Now and Then,” saying, “It was the closest we’ll ever come to having [John] back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us. It was like John was there, you know. It’s far out.”

Paul McCartney had a similar response, explaining in a press release that the experience of hearing Lennon’s voice coming through “crystal clear” on the track was “quite emotional.”

2 Features 1960’s Beatles Vocals

In addition to the John Lennon vocals that were lifted from his 1970s demo and the voices of bandmates recorded many years later, “Now and Then” also features vintage Beatles backing vocals from the original recordings of songs: “Here, There and Everywhere,” “Because,” and “Eleanor Rigby.”

As far as the music itself, Paul McCartney plays the piano and bass guitar on the song, as well as doing a slide guitar solo in the style of George Harrison. Ringo Starr plays the drums, and George Harrison’s electric and acoustic guitar performances, recorded for the song in the mid‑1990s, are used as well. Interestingly, this practice of the band recording parts of a song individually started long before the death of John Lennon. Even when all four members were still together as a group, they would sometimes record their contributions separately to be pieced together later.

1 Impact of The Beatles: Get Back Doc

While similar tools exist on various apps and elsewhere, a custom‑made stem separation technology nicknamed MAL was used for “Now and Then,” which was reportedly developed by the team of engineers who worked on the popular 2021 documentary series The Beatles: Get Back from filmmaker Peter Jackson. The doc features extensive footage filmed during the making of the group’s 1969 Let It Be album.

When the audio from the archival footage was successfully remixed, allowing The Beatles’ voices to be separated from background noises and instruments, it was Paul McCartney who thought of revisiting the “Now and Then” project, using the new software to try and lift John Lennon’s vocals from the demo. The result was Lennon’s cleaned‑up acapella vocal, which ended up being used in the completed production of the song. Considering how interested The Beatles were in new technology, it makes sense that the idea to apply MAL to “Now and Then” came from McCartney himself.

Peter Jackson, who is an enthusiastic Beatles fan and feels that the world today could use some cheering up from The Beatles, revealed one of the most exciting aspects of this story: that there may somehow be more additional releases of new Beatles music in the future. It would come as a surprise to many, considering all the attention “Now and Then” has gotten, being billed far and wide as the last Beatles song.

Jackson speculated that material from The Beatles: Get Back could be utilized for another song. According to Deadline, the filmmaker has said that he possesses archival studio footage of one or another of the bandmates rifting on a musical idea. Jackson explains: “We can take a performance from Get Back, separate John and George, and then have Paul and Ringo add a chorus or harmonies.”

One thing seems obvious. The type of technology that was customized for the documentary and subsequently used in the production of “Now and Then” could potentially have a significant impact on how music is created going forward.

When an aircraft meets disaster, the black box often becomes the silent witness, preserving the final words and sounds from the cockpit. In this piece we present the 10 final recordings that echo the last seconds of ten infamous crashes. The audio can be faint, garbled, and sometimes unsettling, so tune in carefully. This compilation is made possible by AircrashDB.com.

10 Final Recordings

On 31 August 1999, a Boeing 737‑204C operating as LAPA Flight 3142 attempted to depart Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires. The accident claimed 65 lives, left 17 passengers seriously hurt and many others with minor injuries, marking it as one of Argentina’s deadliest aviation tragedies.

During the take‑off roll, a warning bell rang, indicating the aircraft wasn’t properly configured. The crew, however, pressed on, unaware that the flaps were fully retracted rather than set for take‑off. The jet overran the runway, smashed through the perimeter fence, barreled onto a road, struck a car and finally collided with construction equipment and a highway median. Fuel spilled onto the hot engines and ignited a gas leak, engulfing the aircraft in fire and reducing it to wreckage.

9 Flying Tiger Line Flight 66

On 19 February 1989, a Boeing 747‑249F known as Flying Tiger Flight 66 was on a non‑directional beacon (NDB) approach to Runway 33 at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Kuala Lumpur, after a half‑hour flight from Singapore. While descending, ATC cleared the flight to “Kayell”, using the Morse code “KL”. Four ground points shared this identifier, and two radio beacons also bore the same code, creating a confusing environment for the crew.

ATC then instructed, “Tiger 66, descend two four zero zero, cleared for NDB approach runway three three.” The captain heard “descend to four zero zero” and responded, “Okay, four zero zero,” interpreting it as 400 ft above sea level—2,000 ft lower than required. The Ground Proximity Warning System issued alerts that were dismissed as false. The aircraft struck a hillside 600 ft above sea level, killing all four occupants. Proper phrasing should have been “descend and maintain two thousand four hundred feet.”

8 Adam Air Flight 574

On 1 January 2007, a Boeing 737‑4Q8 operating as Adam Air Flight 574 departed Surabaya for Manado. The aircraft vanished over the ocean; its black boxes were recovered on 28 August 2007, though larger wreckage remained elusive. All 102 souls on board perished.

The ensuing investigation uncovered widespread maintenance lapses across the airline, including a suspect rudder‑valve defect known from prior 737 incidents. Analysis of the flight data revealed the crew became preoccupied with troubleshooting the inertial reference system, inadvertently disengaging the autopilot and losing control of the aircraft.

7 Vasp Flight 168

On 8 June 1982, a Boeing 727‑212A operating as VASP Flight 168 flew from Rio de Janeiro to Fortaleza. While approaching the destination, the crew received clearance to descend from FL330 to 5,000 ft. Flying at night, the bright city lights ahead apparently disoriented the captain, who continued descending past the authorized altitude.

Despite two altitude‑alert warnings and a co‑pilot’s cautions, the aircraft kept dropping until it slammed into a mountainside at 2,500 ft, killing all 137 occupants.

6 Air Florida Flight 90

On 13 January 1982, Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737, was bound from Washington National Airport to Fort Lauderdale, with a stopover in Tampa. During a failed take‑off, the plane struck the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River, crushing seven cars, ripping 97 ft of guard rail, and then plunging through ice into the river.

The crash occurred less than two miles from the White House, within sight of the Jefferson Memorial and the Pentagon. Of the 74 passengers and five crew, all but four passengers and a single flight attendant perished.

5 Delta Airlines Flight 191

On 2 August 1985, a Lockheed L‑1011‑385‑1 TriStar operating as Delta Air Lines Flight 191 was on routine approach to Dallas‑Fort Worth International Airport when a microburst‑induced wind shear slammed into the aircraft, causing it to crash. The disaster claimed eight of the eleven crew members, 126 of the 152 passengers, and one person on the ground, totaling 135 fatalities.

4 Northwest Airlines Flight 255

On 16 August 1987, a McDonnell Douglas MD‑82 operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255 departed Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. Shortly after liftoff, the aircraft rolled side‑to‑side at under 50 ft altitude, stalled, and lost a wing after striking a light pole, then slammed into an Avis rental‑car building and finally crashed inverted onto Middlebelt Road, igniting fuel and bursting into flames.

3 United Airlines Flight 232

On 19 July 1989, a Douglas DC‑10 operating as United Airlines Flight 232 was en route from Denver to Chicago when its number‑2 engine suffered an uncontained failure. Shrapnel ripped through all three hydraulic systems, leaving the crew with only thrust‑lever control for pitch and yaw.

The crew managed an emergency landing at Sioux City, Iowa, but the aircraft broke apart on impact, killing 111 of the 285 passengers and one of the eleven crew members.

2 Japan Airlines Flight 123

On 12 August 1985, a Boeing 747‑SR46 operating as Japan Airlines Flight 123 departed Tokyo’s Haneda Airport for Osaka. Twelve minutes after take‑off, a faulty bulkhead—improperly repaired after a 1978 tail‑strike—failed, causing explosive decompression that destroyed all four hydraulic systems and rendered the aircraft uncontrollable.

The original tail‑strike had damaged the rear pressure bulkhead. Boeing’s repair used two separate doubler plates with inconsistent rivet rows instead of a single continuous plate with three rows, reducing fatigue resistance by roughly 70 %.

When the compromised bulkhead finally gave way, the sudden loss of pressure ruptured every hydraulic line, leaving the pilots powerless to steer the doomed aircraft, which later crashed into Mount Takamagahara, killing 520 of the 529 on board.

1 Delta Airlines Flight 1141

On 31 August 1988, a Boeing 727 operating as Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 departed Jackson, Mississippi, for Dallas‑Fort Worth and onward to Salt Lake City. Shortly after take‑off from Dallas‑Fort Worth, the plane crashed, killing two cabin crew members and twelve of the 101 passengers, for a total of fourteen deaths.

One passenger, after exiting through a fuselage breach, attempted re‑entry, suffered burn injuries, and died eleven days later. The cockpit voice recorder captured extensive conversation about the recorder itself and unrelated topics, violating sterile‑cockpit regulations that require silence except for flight‑related discussion.

No one wants to be the last soldier to fall in a war. Getting that close to the finish line only to meet a tragic end feels like the worst possible timing.

Below we dive into the top 10 final war deaths that sealed the fate of major conflicts, from medieval sieges to modern counter‑terror operations. Each story shows how a single life—often accompanied by many others—marked the final gasp of a brutal struggle.

Top 10 Final Moments In War History

10 Hundred Years’ War: John Talbot (And 4,000 Others)

Imagine the misfortune of being the ultimate casualty in a war that stretched over a century. That’s exactly what happened to English commander John Talbot and his shattered force.

The Hundred Years’ War unfolded between 1337 and 1453, pitting England’s Plantagenet line and its Lancastrian offshoot against France’s Valois dynasty. Over 116 years, five generations of monarchs grappled for the French throne, producing an estimated death toll of roughly 3.5 million souls.

The climactic clash came at the 1453 Battle of Castillon, where French forces suffered a modest 100 casualties while the English endured over 4,000 losses. This stark disparity was partly due to the debut of field artillery—cannons—that reshaped battlefield tactics.

Talbot, however, sealed his fate by refusing to adapt. He ordered a reckless assault on a fortified French position, ignored the presence of powerful cannons, and declined to withdraw even as the French held a superior defensive line. With no reinforcements arriving, his army was shredded by artillery fire, and Talbot fell alongside his men.

9 American Civil War: John Jefferson Williams

Even after General Robert E. Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865, fighting lingered for weeks. Confederate President Jefferson Davis urged scattered rebel units to keep the struggle alive, leading to a final, ill‑fated skirmish.

In southern Texas, Union Colonel Theodore H. Barrett, commanding an all‑Black regiment with no combat experience, launched an unprovoked attack on a Confederate camp near Fort Brown on May 12, 1865. The engagement, known as the Battle of Palmito Ranch, was a costly misadventure for the North.

The Union suffered over 115 casualties, including around 30 killed, despite fielding only about 500 soldiers. Confederate losses were minimal—just half a dozen, none of whom died. The Union’s heavy losses were a stark contrast to the limited Confederate impact.

On May 13, 1865, 22‑year‑old Private John Jefferson Williams of the 34th Indiana Infantry is widely regarded as the last Union soldier to die in the Civil War. Some historians argue that a later death in Alabama—Corporal John W. Skinner—occurred six days after, but that fatality happened in an ambush rather than a formal battle.

8 Second Boer War: Ferdinandus Jacobus Potgieter

The Second Boer War raged from October 1899 to May 1902, pitting the British Empire—including troops from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—against the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, two Boer republics established by Dutch‑descended settlers.

While the official cause revolved around British influence in southern Africa, the true spark was the discovery of vast diamond and gold deposits. The Boers, outnumbered and outgunned, resorted to guerrilla tactics that initially frustrated the conventional British forces.

The British endured over 22,000 fatalities, whereas Boer losses numbered about 6,200. To break the stalemate, the Empire escalated its troop presence, introduced scorched‑earth policies, and built concentration camps to deprive the Boers of resources.

The war’s final showdown occurred on April 11, 1902, at the Battle of Rooiwal. Cornered, the Boers chose to charge a fortified British line on horseback. The assault was repelled, resulting in 51 Boer deaths, including their chief officer, Commandant Ferdinandus Jacobus Potgieter. His demise was captured in a haunting photograph that remains emblematic of the conflict’s bitter end.

7 World War I: Lieutenant Tomas

American Private Henry Gunther is often cited as the last U.S. combatant killed in World I. The armistice was set for 11:00 a.m. on 11 November 1918, and Gunther, refusing to heed the impending cease‑fire, charged a German machine‑gun nest at 10:59 a.m., meeting his end just a minute before the guns fell silent.

However, German records suggest that the true final casualty was a German infantryman known only as Lieutenant Tomas. After the armistice took effect, Tomas approached a group of American soldiers to inform them that his unit was vacating a house, unaware that the Americans had not yet received the cease‑fire news. The Americans, still on high alert, opened fire, killing Tomas and making him the very last soldier to fall in the Great War.

6 World War I, Part II

The last day of World I was so ferocious that three additional notable deaths deserve mention. Though the armistice was scheduled for 11:00 a.m., the morning saw nearly 2,700 fatalities and 11,000 wounded—more than the total casualties on D‑Day three decades later.

British forces suffered roughly 2,400 deaths that morning, with 40‑year‑old Private George Edwin Ellison becoming the final British casualty at 9:30 a.m. while scouting the outskirts of Mons, the very town where the first British soldier fell at the war’s outset.

Canadian Private George Lawrence Price, aged 25, was killed by a sniper at 10:58 a.m., just two minutes before the armistice, narrowly missing Gunther’s dubious claim to fame. Meanwhile, French soldier Augustin Trébuchon, delivering a message that soup would be served after the cease‑fire, was shot at 10:50 a.m., becoming France’s final war death.

5 World War II: Anthony Marchione

Three days after Japan’s formal surrender on 15 August 1945, 19‑year‑old Army photographer Anthony Marchione embarked on a routine reconnaissance flight aboard two B‑32 Dominator bombers over Tokyo, intended to verify that hostilities had truly ceased.

As the aircraft approached the Japanese capital, anti‑aircraft fire erupted, followed by Japanese fighter interceptors. One bomber sustained severe damage, prompting the surviving crew to radio the other plane to slow down and stay together.In a chilling twist, the response came from a Japanese ace pilot, Saburo Sakai, who offered to “slow down so I can shoot you down, too.” His statement underscored the lingering confusion and sovereignty concerns that persisted even after the official surrender.

Of the three American airmen injured, two survived. Marchione, though initially conscious, succumbed to his wounds, becoming the last of over 407,000 U.S. service members to die in World II.

4 Vietnam War: Charles McMahon & Darwin Lee Judge

The Vietnam War, America’s longest‑running conflict, stretched from the early 1960s to 1975. Its hallmark was a fluid battlefield where the North Vietnamese Army employed hit‑and‑run tactics, allowing them to buy precious time and wear down U.S. forces.

By 1968, mounting casualties and a swelling draft sparked massive anti‑war sentiment, prompting President Lyndon Johnson—an incumbent—to opt out of re‑election, a rare political move in American history.

U.S. troop levels began to recede in the early 1970s, culminating in a controversial peace agreement that allowed a rapid U.S. withdrawal while leaving South Vietnam vulnerable. On 30 April 1975, Saigon fell, and a frantic evacuation, set to the soundtrack of Christmas music, unfolded at Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Amid the chaos, on 29 April—just a day before Saigon’s surrender—two young Marines, 21‑year‑old Charles McMahon and 19‑year‑old Darwin Lee Judge, were killed by a rocket strike. Their deaths marked the final U.S. combat fatalities of a war that spanned two decades, with McMahon having served only 11 days in Vietnam.

3 Falklands War: Craig James

The Falklands conflict erupted in 1982, a brief ten‑week war between the United Kingdom and Argentina over sovereignty of the remote island chains. Argentina’s military junta, desperate to boost domestic popularity amid an economic crisis, launched an ill‑advised invasion.The United Kingdom, wielding a far superior navy and air force, responded decisively. Despite losing two destroyers at sea, British forces suffered only 255 combat deaths, while Argentine casualties totaled around 650 killed, 1,600 wounded, and over 11,000 captured.

One day before Argentina’s surrender, 20‑year‑old Private Craig James fought in the ferocious Battle of Mount Longdon. The engagement involved intense mortar fire and close‑quarters combat, accounting for nearly 10 % of all British war casualties. As the battle drew to a close, James was struck by an exploding shell, becoming the final British fatality of the war.

Thirty years later, an islet near the battlefield was renamed Craig Island in his honor, ensuring his sacrifice would not be forgotten.

2 Cold War: Arthur Nicholson Jr.

The Cold War never escalated into a full‑scale nuclear exchange, but it produced a series of proxy wars and tense incidents that claimed lives. Throughout its 45‑year span, nearly 400 American service members died in direct enemy action.

Key moments included the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, during which U‑2 pilot Rudolf Anderson was shot down, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, where U.S. support for the mujahideen eventually forced a Soviet withdrawal.

Amid these broader confrontations, a lesser‑known tragedy unfolded on 24 March 1984. Major Arthur Nicholson Jr., part of a U.S. military liaison mission in East Germany, was tasked with photographing a Soviet tank depot.

While approaching the facility, a Soviet guard opened fire, claiming the Americans were in a prohibited area. The Soviets asserted that Nicholson died instantly, but an autopsy later revealed he bled to death over several hours. Vice President George H.W. Bush condemned the killing, labeling Nicholson “an outstanding officer murdered in the line of duty.” He is officially recognized as the final American casualty of the Cold War.

1 Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan): Wyatt Martin, Ramon Morris & TBD

Operation Enduring Freedom began less than a month after the September 11, 2001 attacks and officially concluded on 31 December 2014, though the conflict’s reverberations continue. Over its 13‑year span, approximately 1,850 American service members and 450 British personnel were killed in action—the highest casualty figures among coalition partners.

The war marked the first—and only—instance where NATO’s collective defense clause was invoked, underscoring the global scale of the effort.

According to official records, the final coalition deaths were 22‑year‑old Wyatt Martin and 37‑year‑old Sergeant First Class Ramon Morris, both combat engineers. They were killed when an improvised explosive device detonated on their vehicle in Parwan Province, north of Kabul. Morris, a highly decorated veteran, had earned a Bronze Star for valor among other honors.

Yet the story does not end with an arbitrary date. In February 2020, two U.S. soldiers fell victim to an insider attack by individuals posing as friendly Afghan forces. A week later, British Army Private Joseph Berry died from non‑combat injuries sustained in Kabul, highlighting the ongoing dangers faced by coalition troops even after the official end of the mission.

Drug lords must live by the proverbial sword. Often they die by it too. Cartel leaders and local drug runners know the nature of their business. Those at the top must be ruthless to retain power. When it all ends, many kingpins enter the afterlife on their own terms. With untold wealth earned during their lives, some of these smugglers spared no expense in death. Others entered the afterlife amid mystery and conspiracy. But they all left a mark as they left this realm.

So let’s look at how these drug lords met their end and where to find their final resting places—maybe.

Related: Top 10 Bizarre Ways People Smuggled Drugs

10 Felix Mitchell

Felix Mitchell was a street legend in Oakland, California. “Felix the Cat” turned a local heroin hustle into a drug empire that earned millions. By the 1980s, he was infamous for ruthless violence. Police claimed he killed or ordered the deaths of six people. Prosecutors caught up to him, though, and by 1985 he was imprisoned. The following year, Mitchell was stabbed to death by another inmate. His murder came two days before his 32nd birthday.

Mitchell’s funeral made headlines across the world. His two-hour funeral procession featured a horse-drawn carriage, Rolls Royces, and limousines. Ushers and attendees wore tuxedos. Mitchell’s coffin cost more than $6,000. City officials condemned the celebration, but nearly 2,000 people attended the funeral. Thousands more lined the streets to watch as Mitchell was taken to his resting place in the nearby city of Richmond.^[1]

9 José Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha

José Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha was brutal to his enemies but helpful to his hometown. The Colombian drug lord was beloved for funding various public projects in the city of Pacho. In 1989, the Medellin cartel underboss and his son were killed in a shootout with police. They were buried, but two days later, their bodies were exhumed and returned to Pacho. When Gacha’s body arrived home, 15,000 people took to the streets to mourn their local hero. After the public procession, the kingpin’s family held a private late-night funeral. Gacha was reportedly buried in an intricate wooden coffin.

Over the next few years, residents of Pacha started noticing a man in town who looked a lot like Gacha. The mystery man was said to have even attended the drug lord’s birthday memorial. Locals whispered that the funeral was suspicious for being held late at night and with a closed coffin. Ever since, many have wondered if Gacha faked his death.^[2]

8 Amado Carrillo Fuentes

Amado Carrillo Fuentes was known as the “Lord of the Skies” in his life. The drug runner was famous for using private jets to transport cocaine. The Juarez cartel leader’s sudden death in 1997 shocked the world: it came during plastic surgery.

Supposedly, the kingpin had been altering his appearance to escape justice. Fuentes’s final resting place in Mexico’s Culiacán state is incredible. The three-story mausoleum cost more than $415,000. It holds a 50-seat chapel and two burial chambers. But it may not hold Fuentes. Investigators have always wondered whether the secretive drug lord is really inside. Rumors swirl that one of his henchmen lies there instead. A few months after his funeral, the mystery deepened when the corpses of Fuentes’s plastic surgeons were discovered in barrels of concrete.^[3]

7 Ramón Arellano Félix

In life, Ramón Arellano Félix spent years on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitive List, right next to Osama bin Laden. But the long arm of the law found Félix by the end of 2002. That year, Mexican cops tracked down the Tijuana cartel boss and killed him in a shootout. At least they thought they killed the dangerous drug runner. The man thought to be Félix was carrying an ID card that claimed he was “Jorge Pérez Lopez.”

Authorities prepared to investigate further when someone claiming to be a family member of the deceased took the body from the funeral home. The corpse was quickly cremated before police could step in. Félix—or whoever—was lost to history. Police did the next best thing, testing DNA from blood left on the dead man’s clothes. When tests came back, cops announced they were “virtually certain” the dead man was Félix. But with no air-tight confirmation, the mysterious cremation continues to baffle.^[4]

6 Arturo Beltrán Leyva

Arturo Beltrán Leyva was known as “The Boss of Bosses” during his career smuggling cocaine from Mexico to the United States. His luck ran out in 2009 when he was killed by Mexican forces in a surprise raid on his compound near Mexico City. Distraught supporters hired a private jet to fly his body back home to Culiacán state. His funeral was an unusually low-key affair. To avoid police harassment, no men attended the event.

While Levya’s memorial may have been small, his trip to the afterlife was not. The drug lord’s two-story mausoleum is said to resemble a mansion. The tomb has two bedrooms and a kitchen. It is filled with Leyva’s memories, as well as guns, cars, and other things he owned in life. It even has satellite TV, air conditioning, and a Wi-Fi connection.^[5]

5 Heriberto Lazcano

Heriberto Lazcano was a Mexican Special Forces soldier who switched sides. He became a valuable assassin for the Gulf Cartel when he was killed in a shootout in 2012. Cops took fingerprints and DNA samples after his death. But days later, the corpse was stolen from a funeral home.

The Mexican government was adamant they killed Lazcano. They even dug up the graves of the hitman’s parents to confirm a DNA match. However, the results are sealed until 2024. If Lazcano really was the one killed, his path to the afterlife has been unique. The cold-blooded murderer reportedly rests in an exquisite three-story mausoleum with a “heavy religious theme” in his native Culiacán.^[6]

4 Griselda Blanco

Griselda Blanco was one of the most prolific cocaine smugglers ever. But a 15-year prison sentence in the United States followed by the 2004 deportation back to her native Colombia ended her trafficking career. Once back home, Blanco enjoyed retirement. But in 2012, she was assassinated in a local butcher shop by a passing motorcyclist. Ironically, it was Blanco who first pioneered the use of motorcycle assassins during her violent career.

Two days later, she was buried in the same cemetery as rival kingpin Pablo Guzman. Thousands of schoolchildren from across the city of Itagüí were bussed in for the funeral. Adult mourners shared bottles of liquor at her grave for hours. Everyone in town was there except her son, Michael Corleone—yes, named after The Godfather character—who was under house arrest for drug crimes of his own.^[7]

3 Nazario Moreno González

The Mexican government triumphantly announced that drug lord Nazario Moreno González was killed in a shootout in 2010. But the co-head of the La Familia cartel wasn’t dead. Four years later, authorities claimed he had been killed—again. They got it right the second time. The man known as “El Mas Loco” or “The Craziest One” had actually been shot and killed that time. Police held González’s body until it was confirmed to be him through forensic analysis. At that point, they released the corpse to family members.

During life, González was god-like. The cartel boss dressed in flowing white robes. Followers hung on to his every word. Some even venerated the drug lord as if he were a saint. But in death, he disappeared. Family members refused to say where they buried the kingpin. Rumors have persisted that he was cremated. His final resting place has never been confirmed.^[8]

2 Héctor Beltrán Leyva

Héctor Beltrán Leyva took over the family business after his brother Arturo was killed in 2009 (See #6). But while Arturo lived a notorious life and was given a flashy burial, Héctor’s end was less boastful. The younger Beltrán Leyva brother, known as “El H,” ran the family cartel until his 2014 arrest. In 2018, while in jail awaiting trial, the drug lord died of a heart attack.

Family members insisted on complete privacy after his death. Héctor’s body was flown back to his hometown of Hermosillo on a private jet. Once there, it was guarded by security personnel in a private wing of the city mortuary. From there, the burial story runs cold. The cartel boss’s final resting spot has never been revealed.^[9]

1 Frank Lucas

Frank Lucas served as the inspiration for Denzel Washington’s 2007 movie American Gangster. And the real-life crime boss’s life story was worthy of the silver screen. In the 1970s, Lucas became one of America’s most successful drug lords. He controlled the heroin market on the east coast, importing massive amounts of the drug from Southeast Asia. Against all odds, Lucas later left organized crime and lived well into his 80s.

Not long before Lucas died, he ordered a custom-made casket for his own burial. The design was based on a Cadillac CTS-V, with a sliding rooftop window and all the accessories. The custom coffin cost $12,000. When the ex-drug lord passed, he was buried in a well-attended ceremony. His nephew, a pastor, presided over Lucas’s funeral. The man of God acknowledged Lucas’s actions but commended the ex-gangster for working to help others avoid crime at the end of his life.^[10]

Criminals condemned to die are typically granted one last meal of their choice. The long-standing tradition invariably begs the question: what would your order be? While you decide, take a look at the selections of these notorious killers.

10.  Richard “Bruno” Hauptmann

The case would become known as “The Crime of the Century.” Richard Hauptmann, a German-born carpenter, was convicted of kidnapping and murdering the infant son of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh. 

Although Hauptman maintained his innocence to the very end, the state of New Jersey saw things differently, handing him a death sentence in 1936. 

Last Meal: chicken, French fries, buttered peas, celery, olives, cherries, and a slice of cake

Method of Execution: Electric Chair 

9. Gary Gilmore

In the Summer of 1976, Gary Gilmore robbed and murdered two men in Utah. Gilmore then accidentally shot himself while disposing of the murder weapon, leaving behind a trail of blood which ultimately led to his arrest. 

The career criminal subsequently demanded to be executed. The request prompted several states to reevaluate a new series of statutes in which death sentences had been converted to life in prison. Gilmore’s story later became the subject of Norman Mailer’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Executioner’s Song.

Last Meal: a hamburger, hard-boiled eggs, baked potato, coffee, and three shots of contraband Jack Daniel’s whiskey

Method of Execution: Firing Squad

8. John Martin Scripps

His grisly crimes while on holiday earned him the nickname “tourist from hell.” John Martin Scripps was an English serial killer who may have murdered as many as six people in several countries, including Thailand, Mexico, and the United States.

Originally from Hertfordshire in England, Scripps used his butchering expertise (skills he learned in prison) to dismember and dispose of dead bodies. Authorities eventually arrested him in Singapore in 1995 with six different passports and several stolen credit cards belonging to his victims. Additional items in his possession included a hammer, stun gun, knives, and handcuffs. 

Last Meal: pizza and hot chocolate

Method of Execution: Hanging 

7. Velma Barfield

On Nov 2, 1984, at 2:15 a.m., Velma Barfield made history. The 52-year-old grandmother received a dose of Pancuronium bromide, a powerful muscle relaxant that stopped her heart, making her the first woman to be executed by lethal injection.

While on Death Row at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina, Barfield spent much of her time praying and knitting for her grandchildren. The devout Christian confessed to poisoning five people with arsenic, including her mother, but denied any malfeasance regarding the mysterious deaths of two former husbands.

Last Meal: Cheez Doodles, Coca Cola, and a Kit-Kat bar

Method of Execution: Lethal Injection

6. Adolf Eichmann

During the trial of Adolf Eichmann, the former SS officer refuted any remorse for his involvement in the Holocaust, stating he was simply “doing his job” and obeying orders. His indifferent demeanor would later introduce the phrase “The banality of evil.”

Following Germany’s defeat in WWII, Eichmann, like several other high-ranking Nazis, fled to South America. He was later captured in Argentina by Israeli Mossad agents and indicted by an Israeli court on numerous crimes against humanity and various war crimes.

Last Meal: a bottle of Carmel (dry red Israeli wine)

Method of Execution: Hanging

5. Timothy McVeigh

He wanted revenge for “what the US government did at Waco and Ruby Ridge” and would orchestrate what was then the worst terrorist attack on US soil. Timothy McVeigh, a decorated Army veteran who served in the Gulf War, killed 168 people and injured hundreds more when he detonated a bomb underneath a federal government building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

McVeigh constructed a homemade explosive device with a timed fuse mounted in the back of a rented truck parked in front. The bomb consisted of about 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) of ammonium nitrate (an agricultural fertilizer) and nitromethane (motor-racing fuel). Among the victims were 19 children attending a daycare center located on the ground floor of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

Last Meal: two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream

Method of Execution: Lethal Injection

4. Robert Alton Harris

In the span of only a few hours, Robert Alton Harris and his younger brother stole a car, abducted and murdered two teenage boys, robbed a bank, and were then apprehended by the police. Smith even managed to have lunch, allegedly eating the victims’ half-eaten cheeseburgers. 

The whirlwind crime spree occurred in the San Diego area in the Summer of 1978. During the ordeal, Harris executed both boys, telling them, “Quit crying, and die like men.” In a bizarre twist to the cold-blooded slaying, one of the arresting officers was the father of one of the murdered boys but didn’t realize his son had been killed until later.

Last Meal: 21-piece bucket of KFC, two large pizzas, ice cream, a bag of jelly beans, a six-pack of Pepsi, and a pack of Camel cigarettes (Harris had requested Domino’s Pizza but received Tombstone instead)

Method of Execution: Gas Chamber

3. Peter Kürten

Known as “The Vampire of Düsseldorf,” Peter Kurten committed a series of murders and sexual assaults in Germany before being sentenced to death in 1931. His macabre moniker derived from drinking the blood from his victims’ wounds — both human and animal.  

During Kürten’s sensationalized trial, he was placed in a special cage to prevent escape. The serial killer also candidly recounted his horrifying rituals to the celebrated psychologist Karl Berg, whose opus, The Sadist, became a highly influential study of criminological literature. 

Last Meal: Wiener Schnitzel, fried potatoes, and a bottle of white wine

Method of Execution: Guillotine

2. “Tiny” Davis

Allen Lee Davis weighed over 350 pounds, a morbidly obese condition that gave him the ironic nickname “Tiny.” He was convicted for the brutal murders of Nancy Weiler, who was three months pregnant at the time, and her two young daughters, aged 5 and 10. Davis had been on parole for armed robbery when the attacks occurred.

For his crimes, Davis was strapped to “Old Sparky” and died by electrocution on July 8, 1999. Witness accounts reported that “Tiny” bled profusely from the nose and suffered burns to his head, leg, and groin area. As a result of the botched punishment, Davis remains the last person executed by the electric chair in Florida.

Last Meal: lobster tail, fried potatoes, half-pound of shrimp, six ounces of fried clams, half-loaf of garlic bread, 32-ounce A&W root beer

Method of Execution: Electric Chair 

1. John Wayne Gacy

Among the crowded field of notorious serial killers, John Wayne Gacy ranks as one of the creepiest. The married father of two children frequently performed as a clown at hospitals and charity events and worked as a manager of three Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants before being convicted of murder and sexual assault. 

Between 1972 and 1978, Gacy’s heinous crimes involved at least 33 teenage boys and young men, several of whom he tortured and buried under his Chicago-area home. After spending 14 years on death row, during which time he created several controversial paintings, he was finally put to death at the Stateville Correctional Center in Illinois.

Last Meal: a bucket of original recipe Kentucky Fried Chicken, french fries, 12 fried shrimp, and a pound of strawberries

Method of Execution: Lethal Injection