Death Row Inmate’s Farewell to the Warden
On February 5, 2025, Steven Lawayne Nelson, a 37-year-old Texas death row inmate, was executed by lethal injection for the 2011 murder of Reverend Clint Dobson during a robbery at NorthPointe Baptist Church in Arlington. Before his execution, Nelson addressed his wife, Helena Noa Dubois, expressing his love and urging her to live fully.
His final words were, “I’m not scared. I’m at peace. Let’s ride, Warden.” As the lethal injection was administered, he mouthed the word “love” twice before being pronounced dead 24 minutes later.
Nelson’s execution marks the second in the United States in 2025, following the execution of Marion Bowman Jr. in South Carolina. Texas has scheduled three more executions by the end of April.
Reverend Clint Dobson’s family and the surviving victim, church secretary Judy Elliott, have expressed forgiveness and focused on their memories of Dobson. Nelson had a history of criminal behavior dating back to childhood and was also implicated in the murder of another inmate while awaiting trial.