 Nelson was an honest and open kind of guy with a heart of pure gold. Always ready to
help anyone who was down and out, his generosity was unsurpassed. Nelson freely placed his
trust in others. The youngest of three children, Nelson had a quick sense of humor and a
dry wit that kept his friends doubled over with laughter. Nelson
learned the roofing trade at the age of 17. He often bragged that he could nail cedar
shakes faster than anyone, and his fellow workers agreed. He was fast at mathematics and
had little patience for those of us who occasionally had to use a calculator.
Nelson was a talented businessman at a young age. He opened and operated
several successful roofing companies. The first one, opened when he was 18, was named
"The Roof Doctor."
A lover of gadgets, Nelson was always on the cutting edge, incorporating
state-of-the-art electronic equipment for both personal and business use.
Nelson had an enviable zest for living. He loved people and loved to
party; as evidenced by his eclectic collection of loyal friends. He was an avid and
skilled slalom water skier and liked to ride his new Harley Davidson motorcycle which he
proudly shared with his friends. Fascinated with aviation, Nelson was planning to take
flying lessons. |
Nelson often said the happiest day of his life was when his son
Chance was
born. Unfortunately, his marriage was far from ideal. He was a victim of spousal
abuse. Nelson desperately wanted custody of his son when he reluctantly left the
marriage and was preparing to pursue custody of his son at the time he was killed.
Nelson was a person who was blossoming in the face of unbelievable
adversity. He was discovering his own spirituality and was striving to make his life more
profound. He was always upbeat, even while facing problems that would have destroyed a
lesser person.
On the evening of December 2, 1993, 36-year-old Nelson John Minter was
at home alone and had talked on the phone with a friend just before 11:00 pm. The
following day, December 3, 1993, his house was discovered smoldering about 1:00 pm. Fire
had destroyed the interior of his home and his body was discovered in the basement beneath
his bedroom, where the floor had collapsed.
An autopsy revealed that Nelson died from
blunt force trauma resulting
from at least seven blows to the head. Although most of the physical
evidence was destroyed in the fire, Kenneth L. Claggett pled guilty to
the murder on November 27th, 2007.
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