Texas Man Scheduled for Execution After Pastoral Murder Days Post-Anger Management Release

A man from Texas, Steven Lawayne Nelson, faces execution after being convicted of murdering a pastor during a robbery just days after he was released from a court-ordered anger management program. The lethal injection is set for this Wednesday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.

Nelson received a death sentence for the 2011 murder of Rev. Clint Dobson, 28, who was brutally attacked in his own church, NorthPointe Baptist Church in Arlington. Reports indicate that Nelson suffocated Dobson with a plastic bag while the pastor was seated at his office, engaged in writing a sermon.

Details of the Crime

After the fatal encounter, Nelson was apprehended during a shopping spree funded by the pastor’s stolen credit cards. This incident highlights the disturbing pattern of crime that followed his recent release from anger management.

Three days before the murder, Nelson had been let go from a court-ordered anger management program, part of a plea deal with Dallas County prosecutors following an arrest for aggravated assault on his girlfriend. This decision has raised questions about the effectiveness of such programs on violent offenders.

A Troubled History

Nelson’s criminal history includes time served for theft and multiple offenses committed during his teenage years in juvenile facilities. Following the sentencing for Dobson’s murder, he exhibited volatile behavior, including damaging a sprinkler head in his holding cell—flooding the courtroom.

In addition to other prior offenses, while awaiting trial for Dobson’s murder, Nelson received an indictment for allegedly killing another inmate, although he was never charged due to his death sentence.

Trial and Evidence

During his trial, Nelson claimed he waited outside the church for about 25 minutes before entering and said he encountered Dobson and another individual, Judy Elliott, only after they had been attacked. He contended that Dobson was still alive when he discovered the scene.

Nelson admitted to stealing Dobson’s laptop and claimed involvement through another person who provided him with Elliott’s car keys and credit cards. The victims were found in a gruesome state by Elliott’s husband, who struggled to recognize his wife due to the extent of her injuries.

Prosecutors countered Nelson’s narrative with compelling evidence, presenting his fingerprints and pieces of his broken belt found at the crime scene, along with drops of victims’ blood on his sneakers.

Legal Challenges

Nelson’s legal team has appealed against the conviction, arguing that he received poor legal representation during his trial. They claimed ineffective assistance in failing to challenge the alibis of the other two men involved in the robbery, as well as neglecting to share mitigating evidence of Nelson’s troubled upbringing in Oklahoma and Texas.

Legacy and Reflection

Rev. Dobson’s father-in-law, Phillip Rozeman, expressed profound sorrow after the sentencing. He stated, “It is hard for me to fathom that you did what you did for a car and a laptop and a phone. 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.” This reflects the deep emotional impact of the crime, resonating with the community that loved and revered Dobson.

As the scheduled execution date approaches, it remains to be seen how the legal proceedings will unfold and what broader implications this case may have on the discussions surrounding capital punishment, crime prevention, and mental health management in Texas.