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Texas Executes Man for 2012 Murder and Arson

5/21/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Matthew Lee Johnson, 49, faced his fate in Huntsville, Texas, executed for the brutal 2012 murder of 76-year-old Nancy Harris, whom he set ablaze during a robbery. In his final moments, Johnson conveyed remorse, marking a somber chapter in a week filled with lethal injections across the U.S. He became the fourth individual executed in Texas this year.

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Story summary

Matthew Lee Johnson, 49, faced his fate in Huntsville, Texas, executed for the brutal 2012 murder of 76-year-old Nancy Harris, whom he set ablaze during a robbery. In his final moments, Johnson conveyed remorse, marking a somber chapter in a week filled with lethal injections across the U.S. He became the fourth individual executed in Texas this year.