Matthew Johnson executed in Texas for murder of beloved grandmother who was set on fire

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Texas has executed Matthew Lee Johnson for the murder of a beloved grandmother who was set on fire during a convenience store robbery 13 years ago.

Johnson, 50, was executed by lethal injection on Tuesday, May 20, for the murder of 76-year-old Nancy Judith Harris in May 2012 in the Dallas suburb of Garland. He was pronounced dead at 6:53 p.m. CT.

"To Mrs. Harris’ family, as I look at each and everyone of you, I see her on that day," Johnson said just before his execution, which some of Harris' loved ones witnessed. "I just please ask for y’all’s forgiveness, I never meant to hurt her. I pray that she’s the first person that I see when I open my eyes, and I will spend eternity with her."

Johnson became the fourth inmate executed in Texas this year and the 18th in the nation. Johnson's execution also was the second of the day on Tuesday. Just after midnight, Indiana executed Benjamin Ritchie for the murder of police officer Bill Toney in 2000.

Here's what to know about Johnson's execution, including more about who his victim was and more from Johnson's last words.

What were Matthew Lee Johnson's last words?

On top of addressing Harris' family members, Johnson praised God and thanked him "for the life he has given me."

He told his fellow death row inmates, whom he called "brothers," that he loved them, and thanked prison officials "for helping me and treating me like a man and treating me with fairness and giving me the opportunity to get in right standings with my Lord."

He apologized to his wife and three daughters for "giving up."

"Just know that it’s nothing that y’all did. I made wrong choices, I’ve made wrong decisions, and now I pay the consequences," he said.

"I thank the Lord for the last 13 years. He has given me the opportunity to ask for his forgiveness, and I thank him for his redemption," he said. "Welcome me father, thank each and everyone of you for being here. I’m done, Warden.”

What was Matthew Lee Johnson convicted of?

On the morning of May 20, 2012, Harris was working as a clerk at the Fina Whip-In convenience store in Garland.

Johnson walked into the store and behind the sales counter. He then poured lighter fluid over Harris' head as she tried to open the cash register, court documents say. Johnson then took two lighters from a display, two packs of cigarettes and removed a ring from Harris' finger.

Once Harris finally got the register open, Johnson took all of the cash and then lit Harris on fire. Court documents say that Harris, engulfed in flames, ran to a nearby sink to try to put them out.

At the same time, Johnson "calmly" walked out of the convenience store, stopping to grab some candy, court documents say.

Unable to put out the fire, Harris yelled for help outside.

Two police officers, a firefighter and a paramedic responded, extinguishing Harris and taking her to a hospital by ambulance. Harris sustained second- to fourth-degree burns over 40% of her body, including her face, arms, hands, legs and chest.

On May 25, 2012, Harris was taken off life support and passed away. She left behind four sons, John, Bryan, Scot and Chris. Bryan passed away at the age of 64 in February.

After leaving the Fina Whip-In, Johnson ran throughout the neighborhood behind the convenience store, shedding his clothing. By the time officers caught him that morning, Johnson asked, according to court records: "What took you so long? Y'all are getting slow."

Who was Nancy Harris?

A devoted grandma and avid Dallas Cowboys fan, Harris would "give you the shirt off her back," Elizabeth Harris, Nancy's daughter-in-law, told Paste BN.

For several years up until her death, Harris spent Friday afternoons doting on her three granddaughters, Lorelai, Hannah and Olivia Harris, who are now 23, 21 and 18. They bought trinkets at Dollar Tree, ate at McDonald's and played for hours back at Harris' house. The family called them "Nini Days," based on the nickname the girls had for their Grandma Harris.

"She loved it. The girls loved it," Elizabeth said.

Around the time Elizabeth and Harris' son Chris got married in 2000, Harris had a health scare, and doctors told her she needed to cut down on sodium. Initially, Harris tried to cut out all salt.

"(She) just wanted to make sure she was there to watch the kids graduate and get married and all of the things," Elizabeth said. "She took it seriously when they (doctors) told her, 'You need to take care of your health.' After that, she was as healthy as humanly possible so that she could be there for her grandkids and her family."

A horrific crime: 13 years after setting a beloved Texas grandma on fire, Matthew Johnson will be executed

Who was Matthew Lee Johnson?

A Dallas native, Johnson spent the majority of his childhood unsupervised, raised largely by his two older brothers and cousins, who introduced him to marijuana at the age of 7, according to Johnson's clemency petition. In middle school, Johnson began using crack cocaine and PCP.

At 19, Johnson married his wife and initially, was able to hide his drug use from her, the Johnson's clemency petition said. But before long, his drug addiction became "quite serious."

In 2004, Johnson was sentenced to five years of prison for a robbery while on drugs. In prison, Johnson got sober and enrolled in a parenting class, according to his clemency petition.

Johnson was released from prison in 2009 and remained sober for several years. He found solace in working out and fishing to calm himself down, he and his wife had a third child, and he got a promotion at his job at an auto garage, according to the petition.

But in 2011, the Johnsons bought their first home and shortly after, Johnson's wife lost her job, according to the petition. The financial strain proved too much and Johnson relapsed again.

"Within months, the progress he had made toward sobriety and improving his life had vanished, as Johnson sunk to a point lower than ever before," his clemency petition said. "It was during this time that he killed Nancy Harris."

Since being on Death Row, Johnson has completed a faith-based program and become as active in his wife and daughters' lives as possible, the petition said.

"While not able to be physically present, he tries his best to help influence his daughters to make better choices and not follow a path like this," the petition said.

When is the next execution in the U.S.?

The next execution in the U.S. is scheduled in Tennessee on Thursday, May 22. The state is expected to execute Oscar Smith for the 1989 murder of his estranged wife, Judith Robirds Smith, 35, and her sons, 13-year-old Jason Burnett and 16-year-old Chad Burnett, inside their Nashville home.

Smith is set to become the 19th inmate executed in the U.S. this year. Another eight executions are scheduled but that number is expected to increase as states approve more death warrants. The U.S. is on track to eclipse the 25 executions that took place in the nation last year.

Editor's note: The name of Matthew Lee Johnson's wife was removed from this story at her request.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at Paste BN. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.