A Texas man convicted of murdering a pastor was executed on Wednesday, Feb. 5, after sharing his final words.
Steven Lawayne Nelson, 37, was found guilty of the 2011 killing of Rev. Clint Dobson, who was beaten, choked, and suffocated with a plastic bag inside NorthPointe Baptist Church in Arlington, according to the Associated Press.
Victim
The convicted murderer spent his final moments speaking to his wife, Helena Noa Dubois, who held up a white service dog to the window separating Nelson from the witnesses to his execution.
He urged his wife to live a full life, telling her, “It is what it is,” just before his execution. Nelson, who married Helena Noa Dubois two weeks prior, then spoke his final words.
“I’m not scared. I’m at peace. Let’s ride, Warden,” he said just before being administered the lethal injection.
As the fatal dose of pentobarbital entered his system, Nelson was seen mouthing the word “love” twice before briefly convulsing. He was declared dead 24 minutes later, according to the AP.
While in prison awaiting trial, Nelson was indicted for the killing of another inmate, though he was never tried for the charge.
This marks the second execution carried out in the US in 2025.
