A Texas death row inmate was executed Tuesday evening, 13 years to the day after setting a 76-year-old grandmother on fire during a robbery at a Garland gas station. 49 year old Mathew Johnson was convicted of murdering Nancy Harris in 2012 after dousing her with lighter fluid and lighting her ablaze before stealing cash and cigarettes. Harris survived for five days and identified her attacker before dying from her injuries.
Johnson gave a lengthy final statement before his execution, apologizing to Harris’ family and asking for forgiveness. “I never meant to hurt her,” he said, adding he hoped to see her in eternity. He also addressed his fellow inmates and family, acknowledging his past choices and accepting the consequences.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice said Johnson was arrested about an hour after the attack and later admitted guilt in court, describing himself as “the lowest scum of the earth.” His appeals failed, and his death marked the fourth execution in Texas and the 18th in the U.S. this year. There are currently 168 people on Texas death row, the lowest number since 1985.