On May 20, 2025, Matthew Lee Johnson entered the Huntsville execution chamber exactly 13 years after the 2012 attack that ultimately led to his conviction and d#ath sentence.

Johnson, 49, had been sentenced to d#ath for the 2012 mu#der of 76-year-old Nancy Harris, a great-grandmother who was working at a convenience store in Garland, Texas.

THE CASE THAT LED TO DEATH ROW

On May 20, 2012, Johnson entered the store during Harris’ shift and robbed the business before setting her on fire as he left.

Harris survived the initial attack but d#ied five days later from her injuries.

Johnson was arrested shortly afterward and later convicted of mu#der. During his 2013 trial, he admitted responsibility while maintaining that he had not intended for Harris to d#e. His defense also presented evidence of a long history of substance addiction and childhood abuse.

He ultimately spent approximately 13 years on d#ath row.

HIS FINAL WORDS TO HARRIS’ FAMILY

On the evening of May 20, 2025, Harris’ relatives were present to witness Johnson’s final moments.

When given an opportunity to make a final statement, Johnson turned toward them and asked for forgiveness.

He said that when he looked at Harris’ family, he could see her from the day of the attack. He apologized and said he had never intended to hurt her.

Johnson also spoke directly to his own wife and daughters, asking them to forgive him for the choices he had made and expressing regret for the pain he had caused them.

THE FINAL MOMENTS

Texas Department of Criminal Justice records confirm that Johnson’s exec#tion took place on May 20, 2025.

The state administered the lethal injection, and Johnson was pronounced d#ead at 6:53 p.m. CDT, according to the ᴀssociated Press.

His final statement was later preserved by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, including his request for forgiveness from Harris’ family and his apologies to his wife and daughters.

HIS FINAL LEGAL FIGHT

Johnson’s legal team made a final effort to stop the exec#tion, arguing in part that there were problems with the process used to establish his execution date.

The Fifth Circuit rejected his request for a stay on May 18, two days before the scheduled date. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles also denied his clemency request.

With those efforts unsuccessful, the execution proceeded as scheduled.

13 YEARS LATER

Johnson’s final statement did not erase what happened to Nancy Harris or the loss experienced by her family.

But his last words reflected the remorse he had expressed during his trial years earlier, when he acknowledged responsibility for what he had done.

Thirteen years after Harris’ life was changed forever, and after more than a decade on d#ath row, Johnson’s case came to its final legal conclusion in Huntsville.

For Harris’ family, however, the date May 20 will forever carry the memory of a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother whose life was taken in an act of violence.

Source: Texas Department of Criminal Justice and ᴀssociated Press.