Texas man executed for burning death of a 76-year-old store clerk, Nancy Harris, during a 2012 robbery
Share this @internewscast.com

A Texas resident was executed on Tuesday evening, exactly 13 years after committing a robbery at a convenience store where he set a clerk on fire in a suburb of Dallas.

Matthew Lee Johnson, aged 49, was given a lethal injection at the Huntsville state penitentiary. He was sentenced for his actions on May 20, 2012, which involved attacking 76-year-old Nancy Harris, a great-grandmother, by dousing her in lighter fluid and setting her aflame in Garland. She succumbed to her severe injuries several days later.

Asked by the warden if he had a final statement, Johnson turned his head and looked at his victim’s relatives, watching through a window close by.

“When I look at each of you, I see her from that day,” he expressed slowly and clearly. “I sincerely ask for your forgiveness. Hurting her was never my intention.” He also mentioned, “I hope that she is the first person I see when I open my eyes and that I can spend eternity with her.”

“I made wrong choices, I’ve made wrong decisions, and now I pay the consequences,” said Johnson, who also asked forgiveness from his wife and daughters.

There was little reaction from Harris’ relatives – three sons, two daughters-in-law and a granddaughter – who witnessed the execution and declined to speak with reporters afterward.

As the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began taking effect, Johnson gasped several times, then made repeated sounds like snoring. Within a minute, all movement stopped. He was pronounced dead at 6:53 p.m. CDT, 26 minutes after the drugs began flowing into his arms.

Johnson’s execution was the second carried out Tuesday in the United States. Hours earlier in Indiana, Benjamin Ritchie received a lethal injection for the 2000 killing of a police officer.

The day’s executions were part of a group of four scheduled within about a week’s time. On May 15, Glen Rogers was executed in Florida. On Thursday, Oscar Smith is scheduled to receive a lethal injection in Tennessee.

Security video captured part of the attack against Harris who, despite her burns, was able to describe the suspect before she died.

Johnson’s guilt was never in doubt. During his 2013 trial, he admitted to setting Harris on fire and also expressed remorse. “I hurt an innocent woman. I took a human being’s life … It was not my intentions to — to kill her or to hurt her, but I did,” he had said at the time.

Johnson said he had not been aware of what he had done as he had been high after smoking $100 worth of crack. His attorneys told jurors Johnson had a long history of drug addiction and had been sexually abused as a child.

Harris had worked at the convenience store for more than 10 years, living only about a block and a half away, according to testimony from one of her sons. She had four sons, 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Prosecutors said Harris had only been working her Sunday morning shift for a short time when Johnson walked in, poured lighter fluid over her head and demanded money.

After Johnson grabbed the money from the register, he set Harris on fire and calmly walked out of the store, according to court documents. Harris frantically tried to extinguish herself and her clothing, exiting the store and screaming for help before a police officer used a fire extinguisher to douse the flames covering her body. Johnson was arrested about an hour later.

Harris suffered extensive second- and third-degree burns over her head and face, neck, shoulders, upper arms, and leg and was in a great deal of pain in the days before she died, a nurse and doctor testified.

Johnson’s legal team did not pursue any appeals this week with the U.S. Supreme Court, according to David Dow, one of the inmate’s attorneys. Lower appeals courts had previously rejected defense requests to stay the execution, and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on Friday denied Johnson’s request to commute his death sentence to a lesser penalty.

In previous appeals, Johnson’s lawyers had argued his death sentence was unconstitutional because he was improperly determined to be a future danger to society, a legal finding that was needed to sentence him to death. His most recent appeals had argued his execution date had been illegally scheduled.

Johnson was the fourth person put to death this year in Texas, historically the nation’s busiest capital punishment state. Tuesday’s executions in Texas and Indiana brought this year’s total in the U.S. to 18 inmates put to death.

Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
19-year-old killed by garbage truck while crossing street in NYC

Tragic Accident: Teenager Fatally Struck by Garbage Truck in New York City

In a tragic incident late Sunday night, a 19-year-old woman lost her…
Australian police fatally shoot a suspect in a 3-hour standoff after 2 officers killed

Australian Police Conclude Three-Hour Standoff with Fatal Shooting of Suspect Following Officer Fatalities

Australian authorities announced on Monday that they believe they have fatally shot…
DCPS to 'adjust' relocation plans after prospective developers back out

Ex-DCPS School Officer Arrested Over Alleged Inappropriate Relationship with Student

An officer from the Duval County School District was taken into custody…
Flight attendant survives being thrown from Air Canada flight in deadly LaGuardia crash: 'Total miracle'

Daughter of Air Canada Flight Attendant Shares Update on Mother’s Injuries Following Ejection from Crash

Air Canada jet hits ground vehicle, shuts down LaGuardia An Air Canada…
Crimson-clad clown flings shredded Quran at NYC mosque, smears feces on building: cops

Outrage in NYC: Crimson-Clad Clown Vandalizes Mosque with Shredded Quran and Feces

A vandal, lacking in fitness and sporting a head-to-toe red outfit, targeted…
Trump says deal will 'probably' be reached soon with 'new, and more reasonable' Iran regime

Trump Predicts Imminent Agreement with ‘New, More Reasonable’ Iranian Government

On Monday, President Trump suggested that an agreement with Iran is likely…
Actor James Tolkan of 'Top Gun' and 'Back to the Future' dies at 94

Renowned Actor James Tolkan, Star of ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Back to the Future,’ Passes Away at 94

Renowned actor James Tolkan, celebrated for his iconic roles as a tough…
Security scare near Trump's Air Force One at Palm Beach airport

Security Incident Unfolds Near Air Force One at Palm Beach Airport During Trump’s Visit

WASHINGTON — A security incident unfolded at Palm Beach International Airport on…
President Trump posts letter from Billy Graham's son about fate of his immortal soul

Franklin Graham’s Letter to Trump Sparks Debate on Immortal Soul and Spiritual Legacy

WASHINGTON — In a letter shared on Truth Social this Palm Sunday,…
WATCH: School Resource Officer Bashes Teen Baseball Player in Head with Taser

Shocking Video: School Officer Strikes Teen Baseball Player with Taser

In a disturbing turn of events, a school resource officer in South…
Western Australia's skies turn a hellish red as Tropical Cyclone Narelle hit, stunning video shows

Tropical Cyclone Narelle Paints Western Australia’s Skies a Striking Red, Captivating Video Reveals

In a striking display of nature’s power, the western skies of Australia…
Mike Rowe Hits It on the Head: Kimmel Didn't Insult Plumbers; He Insulted America's Aspirational Spirit

Mike Rowe Defends American Dream Against Kimmel’s Misguided Comments on Plumbers

In a way only television host Mike Rowe can, he captured the…