Man Executed for Young Pastor’s Murder in Final Stand
Steven Nelson was executed in Texas by lethal injection on Wednesday for the murder of Rev. Clint Dobson in 2011. Pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. CT, Nelson had been convicted of killing the beloved pastor at NorthPointe Baptist Church in Arlington, near Dallas.
Rev. Jeff Hood, Nelson’s spiritual adviser present in the death chamber, remarked that it seemed to take a long time for Nelson to be declared dead. Hood mentioned during a news conference that Nelson “fought until the very end.” Nelson reportedly resisted his execution by refusing to walk to the van transporting him to the Huntsville Unit, where the state’s execution chamber is located. Hood noted bandages on Nelson’s arms, which were not there earlier in the day when Hood visited him.
Amanda Hernandez, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the agency responsible for executions, stated she had no details regarding Nelson’s resistance but confirmed that he walked into the chamber. She did not immediately address the issue of the bandages.
While Nelson admitted to robbing NorthPointe Baptist Church, he consistently denied killing Dobson and instead implicated two accomplices. Dobson’s family opted to focus on their cherished memories of Clint rather than on his killer. Nelson’s execution marks the second in the U.S. this year and Texas’s first in 2025. The state is scheduled to execute another man next week on the same day as a separate execution in Florida.
In his final moments, Nelson professed his love for his wife, who witnessed the execution. He expressed readiness to be at peace and to be at home with her.
Clemency activists, including Rev. Jeff Hood and Nelson’s wife, Noa Dubois, held a vigil for Nelson and made a final plea for mercy before the execution. The family of the victim rejected the clemency efforts, stating they were aware of Nelson’s new wife and her recent activities that exacerbated their pain.
Asked about life after her husband’s execution, Dubois mentioned that it would be very challenging. Hood shared that Nelson assured him his efforts to save his life were not in vain.
Nelson’s crime involved the brutal beating and suffocation of Rev. Clint Dobson, who was only 28 years old at the time. Church secretary Judy Elliot was also severely beaten but survived, as per court records. Nelson, who tied the knot with Dubois in 2024 after meeting through an inmate correspondence program in 2020, maintained his innocence until the end.
When Elliot’s car, laptop, and credit cards were stolen, they were used by the thief to purchase gas, clothes, and jewelry. Nelson claimed that he was not the culprit and accused two others of committing the murder. He testified that he entered the church five minutes after the alleged accomplices and found the victims on the floor. However, prosecutors argued that Nelson acted alone. Evidence found DNA from both Dobson and Elliot on Nelson’s shoe, further supporting the prosecution’s case. Nelson’s defense team argued that one of the accomplices had injuries consistent with the assault. Later, Nelson’s clemency lawyers raised doubts about the alibis provided by the alleged accomplices. Despite the defense’s efforts, a jury convicted Nelson of murder.
During Nelson’s trial, the pastor’s widow, Laura Dobson, broke down in tears on the stand. She expressed her and her late husband’s anticipation of building a life together. She described how they always tried to see the good in people and expressed shock at the evil she witnessed. Dobson’s dream for his church in Texas was to create a welcoming community for families and children to spread the gospel that had impacted his life since childhood.
Clint Dobson was a beloved pastor who aspired to reach individuals from diverse backgrounds and offer hope and peace through his ministry. His family and colleagues remember him as a compassionate and dedicated individual who aimed to unite people in faith and love. Dobson’s legacy lives on through the thriving church and school he built to fulfill his vision.
The text also mentions upcoming executions in the U.S., including one involving the use of nitrogen gas. Additionally, it highlights other scheduled executions in Texas and Florida for violent crimes. The article concludes with statistics on the number of individuals on death row in Texas.
Texas has executed 582 people since 1976. This story has been updated with new information. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steven Nelson executed in Texas for the 2011 murder of a young pastor.
