Nancy Harris, RIP: Black Robber Burned Kindly, Old White Woman Alive in Premeditated, Racially Motivated Murder

 
War victim Nancy Harris 
Alleged war criminal, Matthew Johnson
 
    By Nicholas Stix Mrs. Nancy Harris succumbed to her wounds Friday night. The Garland, Texas widow had 4 sons, 12 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren, had long been active in civic affairs, and was an ardent Cowboys fan. At 76, Mrs. Harris still worked as a convenience store clerk, as she had for the past 12 years, and which is where a racist black sadist robbed her last Sunday. After he had cleaned out her cash register, he doused her with a flammable liquid that he had brought for that purpose, and burned her alive. Matthew Johnson, 36, has been charged with capital murder in the crime. Note that in Johnson’s mug shot, he holds his head high and proud. More and more of the mug shots I see of blacks charged with heinous, racially motivated crimes against whites demonstrate this same prideful pose. Since Mrs. Harris had not put up any resistance, anyone—whether in a police uniform, with a press card, claiming to be a media expert or an “activist” —who has the gall to claim that this was anything but a racially motivated crime perpetrated by an evil, sadistic, black racist deserves to get spit in his face, and should be challenged to take a polygraph test. (But what if she had resisted? That still wouldn’t justify dousing her with a flammable liquid, and setting her on fire.) I realize that there are people who can beat a polygraph, but at least we would know if the cop/journalist/whatever we were dealing with was an ordinary liar, or a conscienceless sociopath. Customer Dereck Mugara who “said he visited with her at the store several times a week,” said

She was the sweetest lady on earth. Always smiling. Always loving — she was just happy to be here. When you meet somebody that’s happy with life or that’s happy to be living, it rubs off on you — she had that in her.

Unfortunately, such joy in a kindly white has no effect on murderous black racists. Suspect Matthew Lee Johnson, 36, does not come from a family of racist monsters; at least his mother isn’t one. WFAA’s Jonathan Betz and David Schechter report,

Alma Johnson said she believes her son was looking for drug money, saying he has battled addiction all his life. Johnson recently got out of prison after serving a six-year sentence for a drug crime.

Monstrous black racists typically insist that their family member is innocent, and is just being profiled for being black. Johnson’s mother didn’t even dispute her son’s guilt. That she tried to explain his alleged crime as being driven by drug addiction is understandable. I thank David in TN, RC, and all of the other readers and colleagues who have been after me for days to blog on this heinous crime. My reader-researcher, David in TN, asked sarcastically, “Was this a ‘random attack,’ or was it a ‘botched robbery’?" * * *Garland clerk 'holding on to life' after fiery attack By Jonathan Betz and David Schechter WFAA Posted on May 21, 2012 at 5:27 p.m.; updated at 6:14 p.m. GARLAND — Nancy Harris, 76, remains in critical condition at Parkland Memorial Hospital’s burn unit after the Garland convenience store clerk was set on fire during a robbery Sunday morning. Police said Matthew Lee Johnson, 36, arrived at the Fina Whip-In at the corner of Broadway and Colonel Drive in Garland shortly after the store opened at 7 a.m. Sunday. Officers said he carried in a bottle of flammable liquid and used it to douse Harris and then set her on fire — after clearing out the cash register. Harris suffered serious burns to her upper torso and face. “It didn’t look like there was any resistance from her any time,” said Garland police spokesman Officer Joe Harn. “There’s no reason why you would set a 76-year-old woman on fire.” Police said the suspect ran to a nearby neighborhood and tried to break into several homes. Officers said Johnson allegedly robbed one man nearby, but police arrested him a short time later. He now faces charges of attempted capital murder and robbery. Johnson's bond is set at $500,000. "That lady's been in my prayers since," said Alma Johnson, the suspect's mother. "I just pray that she pulls through all right." Alma Johnson said she believes her son was looking for drug money, saying he has battled addiction all his life. Johnson recently got out of prison after serving a six-year sentence for a drug crime. She said she had last seen Matthew at a family gathering on Saturday night. "He seemed fine to me. He seemed fine," the elder Johnson said. "Everybody else was saying it. after I left, I didn't stay that long. After I left they say he came back at 1 o'clock or 1:30." Garland police have been in close contact with the Harris family. "They're not doing well," Harn said. "Their mother is simply holding on to life. Loyal customers at the Whip-In were devastated and angry at the news. Harris lived nearby and had been greeting customers from behind the counter for a dozen years. “She was the sweetest lady on earth,” said customer Dereck Mugara, who said he visited with her at the store several times a week. “Always smiling. Always loving — she was just happy to be here.” Friends said Harris has three children and at least three great-grandchildren. Since her husband passed away years ago, she now lives alone in a simple, well-kept home a few blocks from the convenience store where she worked. “Never seen her mad; never seen her raise her voice,” said neighbor Jimmy Bertucci. “It’s devastating. There’s no amount of money he could have gotten that would replace what he did.” Customers said Harris loves greeting her customers and could always be seen at work — unless the Dallas Cowboys were playing. Then, friends say, she would take time off to cheer on her team. “She’s a huge Cowboys fan,” said neighbor Derek White. “During the season, she puts a Cowboys banner in her yard.” Now, police say, Harris clings to life with serious burns over 40 percent of her body. Moments after she was ignited, passing police officers happened to spot the fire inside the store. As they pulled into the parking lot, Harris staggered out of the store — the upper half of her body ablaze. Harn described it as one of the most haunting scenes his officers had ever seen. “They see a lady completely engulfed in flames in her upper torso,” Harn said. “Torso, head, face — everything was on fire. It’s one of the most horrible crimes that we see.” An officer used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. Harris was able to briefly describe the suspect before paramedics rushed her to the hospital. Police said detectives have not yet been able to speak to her because of the severity of her injuries. “We’re in hopes she will make it,” Harn said. Friends are praying that Nancy Harris will recover. “When you meet somebody that’s happy with life or that’s happy to be living, it rubs off on you — she had that in her," Mugara said. E-mail jbetz@wfaa.com and dschechter@wfaa.com * * *Elderly clerk burned in robbery dies of injuries By Jonathan Betz May 26, 2012 at 8:32 a.m.; updated at 2:16 p.m. WFAA DALLAS — A car wash fundraiser for Nancy Harris went on as scheduled Saturday morning, hours after the Garland convenience store cashier died of injuries suffered when she was set on fire during a robbery last Sunday. Harris, 76, passed away Friday evening at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, where she had remained in critical condition since the attack at the Fina Whip-In. The grandmother of two had been an active member of the South Garland community for years. Matthew Johnson, the man arrested and charged with the crime, is in the Dallas County Jail and charged with criminal attempted capital murder. His bond is currently set at $1,000,000 According to a Garland police news release, detectives will be working with the Dallas District Attorney’s office in pursuing a charge of capital murder in the case. The South Garland High School Student Council held a car wash fundraiser at the Fina Whip-In where Harris was attacked, at the corner of Broadway and Colonel, on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. By noon, thousands of dollars had already been collected; the Garland Fire Department even showed up to donate. E-mail jbetz@wfaa.com