Matthew Lee Johnson, convicted of the brutal 2012 murder of 76-year-old Nancy Harris, was executed by lethal injection Tuesday evening at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville. Johnson, 50, was pronounced dead at 6:53 p.m. CT, marking the fourth execution in Texas this year and the 18th nationwide.
Johnson was sentenced to death for killing Harris during a robbery at the Fina Whip-In convenience store in Garland. Prosecutors said Johnson doused Harris in lighter fluid, set her on fire, and calmly walked out of the store, stopping to grab candy on his way out. Harris suffered severe burns over 40% of her body and died five days later.
In his final statement, Johnson expressed remorse, asking Harris’ family for forgiveness. “I never meant to hurt her,” he said. “I pray that she’s the first person I see when I open my eyes, and I will spend eternity with her”.
Johnson’s appeals were repeatedly denied, including a last-minute request for a stay of execution. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called the execution a necessary act of justice, stating, “While nothing can restore the innocent life that was taken, he will never be able to hurt anyone again”.
Harris, a beloved grandmother and longtime convenience store clerk, was remembered by her family as a kindhearted woman who adored her grandchildren and was an avid Dallas Cowboys fan. Her murder shocked the Garland community, and her family has spent the past 13 years advocating for justice.
Johnson’s execution was one of two carried out in the U.S. on Tuesday, with Indiana also executing Benjamin Ritchie for the 2000 murder of a police officer.
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