Man convicted of suffocating pastor in Arlington church to be executed tonight at TX prison
.JPG "Steven Nelson took the witness stand to testify in his own defense in the brutal suffocation death of Arlington pastor Clint Dobson. Surrounded by sheriff’s deputies and with his shackles concealed from jurors, Nelson testified on Oct. 5, 2012.")
A man who was convicted of suffocating an Arlington pastor during a robbery by placing a plastic bag over his head is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday night at a Texas prison.
Steven Nelson, who in October 2012 was found guilty at a trial of capital murder, is to be injected with lethal drugs at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Huntsville. Nelson is 37.
The pastor, 28-year-old Clinton Dobson, was slain 14 years ago in his office at NorthPointe Baptist Church in north Arlington. Nelson stole a computer, credit cards and car from Dobson and church secretary Judy Elliott, according to evidence presented at the trial.
Elliott was bludgeoned and survived. She died last year of a natural cause.
“Clint Dobson was a tremendous man and the loss to mankind is great with his death,” Dr. Phillip Rozeman, Dobson’s father-in-law, wrote in a statement in response to a reporter’s request for an interview. “Clint dedicated his life to the service of Christ — serving in love and for the good of all people. He would bring the best of all people.
“We are thankful for the long and difficult hours worked by [police] and prosecutors who worked on this case. We are most thankful for the people of Arlington and Fort Worth that showed much love for my daughter during this difficult time.”
In the minutes after the death penalty verdict was read on the record, Nelson, who lived in Arlington, broke a fire sprinkler in his holding cell and sent black water flooding into the courtroom.
Nelson was in Criminal District Court No. 4 convicted in the death of Dobson, who also was beaten and bound during the March 3, 2011, robbery.
Nelson also was accused of using a blanket to strangle a mentally ill inmate on their cellblock.
Bill Ray and Steve Gordon, the defense attorneys who at trial represented Nelson, urged jurors to hand down the alternative life without parole sentence and argued that Nelson was abandoned psychologically as a child. Nelson testified that two of the defendant’s friends killed Dobson while Nelson was outside the church.
The jury also heard testimony from an acquaintance who said Nelson admitted killing Dobson.
Prosecutors Bob Gill and Page Simpson played for the jury surveillance video showing Nelson using Elliott’s credit cards at The Parks at Arlington mall to buy expensive Nike shoes and a bright green Oscar the Grouch T-shirt. He also purchased $400 in jewelry at the mall.
A man testified that Nelson sold him Dobson’s laptop for $150 the day of the killing and was driving a Mitsubishi Galant that matched the description of Elliott’s car that was stolen in the robbery.
Dobson’s DNA and Elliott’s DNA was found on Nelson’s shoes, and metal studs from Nelson’s belt were found at the crime scene.
In granting a motion that was filed by the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, Judge Steven Jumes on June 10 ordered that the execution of Steven Nelson occur on Feb. 5. Jumes, who presides in the 485th District Court, also ordered the court’s clerk to issue a death warrant.
This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 10:53 AM.
