A death row inmate, scheduled for execution today (August 5), continues to maintain his innocence in the 2011 murder of pastor Clint Dobson. He argues that he deserves a ‘second chance’ after being convicted.
Steven Lawayne Nelson received the death sentence for the murder of the 28-year-old pastor during a botched robbery. He admits he went to the North Pointe Baptist Church in Arlington, a city located between Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas.
The 37-year-old has asked for permission to take a lie detector test to prove he did not commit the crime. He claims he was only serving as a lookout for accomplices who entered to steal from the church on the day of the incident.
Nevertheless, his conviction was based on the fact that no one else was present during the crime except for 69-year-old church secretary Judy Elliot, who was brutally attacked.
Prosecutors emphasized to the jury that Nelson acted alone, labeling him as a ‘predator’, ‘killer’, and ‘terrorist’ who took not only Reverend Dobson’s life but also credit cards and a car.
Nelson testified in his own defense, asserting that when he entered the church, he found Dobson and Elliot on the floor. He claimed he stepped over them, stole a laptop, and noticed they were still breathing at that moment.
Tragically, Pastor Dobson was suffocated to death, and Nelson was found guilty of his murder 18 months later.
Nelson’s defense hinged on his claim of involvement with two accomplices during the robbery. There was no fingerprint or DNA evidence on the murder weapon, a plastic bag, suggesting insufficient evidence for his conviction.
However, the two men Nelson implicated had alibis corroborated by phone records.
In an interview with News Nation prior to his execution date, Nelson made a bold declaration:
“I’m not the monster they say I am,” he told the outlet.
When asked what he would say to Elliot, he responded: “I will tell you that I’d like to apologize for my actions in the role that I played – even though I wasn’t the person who assaulted her. It still hurts to this day that I couldn’t do nothing at the time, you know?”
Nelson expressed his thoughts toward North Pointe Baptist Church.
He continued: “I keep thinking ‘what if that was one of my family members?’, and I wrote a letter to them but the church denied the letter – that really hurt me, you know? Your organization of Christ, there’s always redemption and a second chance.
“I just want to say that this will be my last interview because my execution day is next Wednesday, and people do deserve second chances.
“I’m not a lost cause, I’m not beyond help – I’m not broken. My foundation might have been cracked 13 years ago, but my foundation is whole now. I’m not the monster they say that I am.”