This week, the state of Texas executed Steven Lawayne Nelson for murdering Rev. Clint Dobson in 2011. The pastor was beaten, strangled, and suffocated with a plastic bag after Nelson was released from a court-ordered anger management program. The murder took place in NorthPointe Baptist Church in Arlington, TX, as the victim was writing a sermon.
Nelson was apprehended after he went on a spending spree using stolen credit cards. The murderer claimed he committed the crime with two accomplices. According to his defense, Nelson merely acted as a lookout for the robbery. They say the other two men gave Nelson the credit cards and keys to the victim’s car. The men blamed by Nelson had iron-clad alibis and were not charged.
The burglar savagely beat Church Secretary Judy Elliott. She was battered so badly that her husband, who discovered the scene of the crime, could not recognize her. “I hope that today, as Mr. Nelson took his last breath, he was greeted by the same loving and gracious Savior that has stood by us through all we have been a part of.” wrote Bradley Elliott, whose mother Judy survived the callous crime. “Mr. Nelson, we forgive you and hope to see you when we are called home from here.”
Despite the claims made by the defense, all evidence pointed to Nelson as the culprit. Studs from his belt were found at the scene of the crime, blood from the victims was found on his shoes, and security camera footage showed Nelson driving the victim’s car. All the fingerprints at the scene belonged to the man convicted. Despite the overwhelming evidence, the defense appealed the conviction.
Appeals were rejected, and many pointed to Nelson’s long criminal career outside of this murder. He spent his teenage years in and out of prison. Several days before the crime, he was released from a court-ordered anger management program after assaulting his girlfriend. While in prison, he allegedly killed another inmate but was never charged as he was set to be executed.
“It is hard for me to fathom that you did what you did for a car and a laptop and a phone,” said Phillip Rozeman, Dobson’s father-in-law, after the sentencing. “The world is going to miss a leader. It’s sad to know all the people that won’t be helped because Clint is not here.” Other than brief written statements, the victim’s family has stayed out of the spotlight.
Nelson, now 37, was executed by lethal injection this week. His last recorded words were, “It is what it is. I’m not scared. I’m at peace… Let’s ride, warden.” He was pronounced dead 24 minutes later. His wife, who he married in prison, was in attendance. This is the first execution of 2025, but the state of Texas plans to carry out four more in the following months.
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While the victim’s family declined to comment, they released a prewritten statement. “As a family, we have chosen to take this day to focus on the great memories we have of Clint rather than giving time to his killer,” they said. “Steven Nelson forever changed our lives, but he has never occupied our minds. … We miss Clint every day. We miss his laughter and his wit, his advice and his love for us.”
Featured image: Arlington, Texas, Police Department
