On February 5, 2025, Steven Lawayne Nelson took his final breath at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville. At 37, he had spent more than a decade on death row for the brutal 2011 murder of Reverend Clint Dobson inside NorthPointe Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas.
As he lay on the gurney, strapped down and moments away from death, Nelson turned to his wife, Helene Noa Dubois, who was watching from behind the glass. She held up their beloved dog, Doron, hoping he could see the pet one last time. Nelson’s voice was steady as he said, “Give Monkey a hug for me.”
Despite knowing what was coming, he seemed eerily calm. “I’m not scared,” he said. “It’s cold as hell in here. But I’m at peace. I’m ready to go home.” His final words to the warden? “Let’s ride, Warden.”
The Final Moments
As the lethal injection began to take effect, Nelson mouthed the word “love” twice in his wife’s direction. His chest rose and fell as he gasped, then he seemed to hold his breath, as if trying to resist what was happening. A few trembles, and then—stillness.
The room remained silent as the clock ticked. After 24 minutes, the doctor confirmed what everyone already knew. Nelson was gone.
A Crime That Shook a Community
Nelson’s crime was nothing short of horrific. In March 2011, he broke into the church and ambushed Reverend Dobson and the church’s secretary, Judy Elliott. Dobson was beaten, strangled, and suffocated with a plastic bag. Elliott was also brutally attacked, but she survived.
Nelson stole Elliott’s car and used her credit cards for a shopping spree. It didn’t take long for authorities to track him down—he was caught two days later, wearing sneakers bought with the stolen cards. His fingerprints and DNA were all over the crime scene.
Years of Denial, Then the End
Despite overwhelming evidence, Nelson insisted he wasn’t the killer, claiming he was just a lookout. He fought for years to overturn his death sentence, but every appeal was denied. Just hours before his execution, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his final plea.
Victims’ Families React
Reverend Dobson’s family chose to focus on his life rather than his tragic death, saying they remember his laughter and kindness. Judy Elliott’s son, Bradley, offered words of forgiveness: “Mr. Nelson, we forgive you.”
A Grim Statistic
Nelson’s execution was the second in the U.S. this year. Texas has more executions lined up in the coming months, keeping the death penalty debate very much alive.