Justice was finally served in Texas as the state executed a man for his horrific 2012 murder of a 76-year-old grandmother.
Matthew Lee Johnson doused Nancy Harris with lighter fluid and set her on fire during a gas station robbery.
The 49-year-old man became the fourth inmate executed in Texas this year, continuing the Lone Star State’s commitment to carrying out capital punishment for the most heinous crimes.
Johnson was pronounced dead following a lethal injection at the Texas state penitentiary in Huntsville.
The execution came 13 years after his brutal crime that shocked the community of Garland, Texas.
Harris was working there as a store clerk when Johnson attacked her. Security cameras partially captured the savage attack.
Stunningly, Harris was able to identify her killer before dying of her burn injuries five days later.
In his final moments, Johnson addressed the victim’s family members who were present to witness justice being served.
“As I look at each one of you, I can see her on that day. I please ask for your forgiveness. I never meant to hurt her,” Johnson said in his final statement.
“I pray that she’s the first person I see when I open my eyes and I spend eternity with,” he continued.
Johnson also asked his wife and daughter for forgiveness: “I made wrong choices, I’ve made wrong decisions, and now I pay the consequences.”
His execution follows a nationwide trend of increasing use of capital punishment this year.
Matthew Lee Johnson was put to death yesterday in Texas for the 2012 murder of 76-year-old Nancy Harris.
Johnson robbed a Garland, Texas convenience store where Harris was employed, compelling her to open the cash register and stealing her rings, a lighter, cigarettes, and… pic.twitter.com/E3LgNrHkx5
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) May 21, 2025
There have already been 18 executions across the United States in 2025, putting the country on pace to exceed the 25 executions carried out last year.
While 23 states have abolished the death penalty and three others maintain moratoriums, Texas continues to lead the way in enforcing justice for victims of violent crime.
Johnson’s crimes were particularly brutal. During the 2012 robbery, he not only set Harris ablaze but also robbed her of cash, her car keys, and a lighter.
Before dying, Harris provided police with a description of her attacker. Johnson was arrested later that same day after committing additional burglaries.
During his 2013 trial, he admitted to the horrific crime but claimed he was under the influence of crack cocaine at the time.
Harris left behind a large and loving family, including four sons, eleven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
The execution brings a measure of closure to this family, which has waited over a decade for justice to be served.
Notably, Johnson’s legal appeals were rejected, allowing the execution to proceed as scheduled despite opposition from anti-death penalty activists.
President Donald Trump has consistently supported expanding capital punishment “for the vilest crimes.”
Texas’s death row population is at its lowest since 1984, with 171 inmates currently awaiting execution.
Since the state remains committed to carrying out justice for the most heinous crimes, Johnson’s execution sends a clear message.
In Texas, violent criminals will face the ultimate consequence for taking innocent lives, regardless of claims about troubled childhoods or drug addiction that are often used to excuse such behavior.
