FORT WORTH -- Razor blades and other contraband were found in the cell of convicted killer Steven Lawayne Nelson as recently as Monday, a Tarrant County jail official testified Tuesday in Nelson's capital murder trial.
Three razor blades were found inside letters, Capt. Donnie Denton told jurors."A lot of damage could be done with one of these razor blades," he said.Nelson could have attacked guards or other inmates, or could have hurt himself, Denton said.Jailers also found several toothbrushes and pens, both of which can be used to make homemade shanks similar to one made out of a plastic spoon that was seized from Nelson earlier, he said.Nelson was convicted Monday of capital murder in the death of Clint Dobson, 28, during a robbery on March 3, 2011. Dobson, pastor of NorthPointe Baptist Church in north Arlington, was beaten, bound and suffocated with a plastic bag. Church secretary Judy Elliott was beaten severely and left for dead but survived.The jury in state District Judge Mike Thomas' court is now hearing evidence in the punishment phase. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Nelson. If jurors decide not to condemn him to lethal injection, Nelson will automatically be sentenced to life in prison without parole.Witnesses on Tuesday outlined a long list of crimes committed by Nelson, including several at an early age.Ronnie Meeks, with the Office of Juvenile Affairs in Oklahoma, told jurors that efforts to rehabilitate Nelson while he was in juvenile detention there were unsuccessful.Once, Nelson stole Meeks' truck while he was being transported from one facility to another, Meeks said."That's the thing I remember about Steven," he said. "I don't remember ever seeing any remorse about anything."Prosecutors Bob Gill and Page Simpson also presented evidence of prior Texas convictions and problems Nelson has caused in jail.Defense attorneys Bill Ray and Steve Gordon have suggested during questioning that Nelson showed signs of emotional problems from a young age, including setting fire to his mother's bed when he was 3, but he didn't get the help he needed.Testimony is expected to continue today, and the trial is expected to continue into next week.Dianna Hunt, 817-390-7084Twitter: @DiannaHunt
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