Texas convict issues last message to wife before execution for killing pastor

A Texas man convicted of sidesplitting a pastor successful his ain religion during a robbery, days aft being released from a court-ordered choler absorption program, was enactment to decease Wednesday evening.

Steven Lawayne Nelson, 37, was pronounced dormant astatine 6:50 p.m. section clip pursuing a lethan injection that was administered astatine a authorities penitentiary successful Huntsville.

Prior to the injection, Nelson repeatedly told his wife, who was watching done a model a abbreviated region from him with a achromatic work canine she was allowed to bring into the witnesser area, that helium loved her and that helium was thankful and grateful, the Associated Press reported.

"It is what it is," Nelson said during his accidental for last words. "I’m not scared. I’m astatine peace. Let’s ride, Warden."

TEXAS TO EXECUTE MAN WHO KILLED PASTOR IN CHURCH DAYS AFTER BEING RELEASED FROM ANGER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

File photograph of Texas decease enactment inmate Steven Lawayne Nelson successful a visiting cage astatine the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Polunsky Unit extracurricular Livingston, Texas, connected Dec. 5, 2012.  (Michael Graczyk, File)

As the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital was being given, Nelson told Helene Noa Dubois, who joined him precocious portion helium was successful prison, "Let maine spell to sleep." The cause appeared to instrumentality effect arsenic helium said the word, "Love," past helium gasped doubly and appeared to effort to clasp his breath. His head, shoulders and arms trembled for a fewer seconds earlier each question stopped. He was pronounced dormant 24 minutes later.

Nelson was sentenced to decease for the 2011 execution of Rev. Clint Dobson, 28, who was beaten, strangled and suffocated with a integrative container wrong NorthPointe Baptist Church successful Arlington. Nelson killed Dobson arsenic helium was sitting successful his bureau penning a sermon. 

Nelson claimed that helium had lone served arsenic a robbery lookout and blamed 2 different men for sidesplitting Dobson. He said helium waited extracurricular the religion for astir 25 minutes earlier going successful and seeing that Dobson and religion caput Judy Elliott had been beaten. He insisted Dobson was inactive live astatine the time.

Nelson said helium took Dobson’s laptop and that 1 of the different 2 men who participated successful the robbery gave him Elliott’s car keys and recognition cards. The 2 victims were located by Elliott's husband, the church’s part-time euphony minister, who did not instantly admit her due to the fact that she had been truthful severely beaten, the Associated Press reported. 

OKLAHOMA EXECUTES MAN CONVICTED OF GRISLY MURDER OF 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL

Steven Nelson was convicted of sidesplitting Pastor Clint Dobson successful his Arlington religion successful 2011. (Obtained by KDFW)

Nelson was captured aft going connected a buying spree utilizing the victims’ stolen recognition cards, Fox Dallas reported.

Three days earlier the killing, Nelson had been released from a court-ordered choler absorption programme arsenic portion of a woody with Dallas County prosecutors aft helium was arrested for aggravated battle connected his girlfriend. 

Relatives of the victims declined to talk with reporters and released statements earlier connected Wednesday.

Steven Lawayne Nelson takes the witnesser basal to attest successful his ain defence successful his superior execution proceedings connected Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, successful Fort Worth, Texas. (Joyce Marshall/Star-Telegram)

"As a family, we person chosen to instrumentality this time to absorption connected the large memories we person of Clint alternatively than giving clip to his killer," Dobson’s household said successful their statement. "Steven Nelson everlastingly changed our lives, but helium has ne'er occupied our minds.... We miss Clint each day. We miss his laughter and his wit, his proposal and his emotion for us."

Bradley Elliott, whose parent Judy survived the attack, said: "I anticipation that contiguous arsenic Mr. Nelson took his past enactment that helium was greeted by the aforesaid loving and gracious Savior that has stood by america done each we person been a portion of." The connection added: "Mr. Nelson, we forgive you and anticipation to spot you erstwhile we are called location from here."

This photograph shows a gurney utilized successful giving lethal injections to convicted decease enactment inmates. (Sue Ogrocki, File)

Nelson's attorneys appealed the conviction, claiming helium had atrocious ineligible practice astatine his trial, saying they failed to situation the alibis of the 2 different men and didn't contiguous mitigating grounds of a troubled puerility in Oklahoma and Texas.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice did not instantly respond to a petition for accusation astir Nelson's past meal. 

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Nelson's execution is the 2nd successful the U.S. this twelvemonth and the archetypal of 4 scheduled successful Texas implicit the adjacent 3 months.

Fox News' Louis Casiano and the Associated Press contributed to this report.