Nelson Shelton was born on July 20, 1967, in Delaware, U.S. 

On January 11, 1992, Nelson Shelton, along with his brother Steven Shelton, their cousin Jack Outten, and Nelson's girlfriend Christine Gibbons, spent the afternoon drinking at Gibbons' home in Newark. After consuming a significant amount of beer, they decided to go to a local tavern. While driving, they devised a plan for Gibbons to pretend to be a prostitute in order to lure men out of the bar to rob them.

At the tavern, the group continued drinking and engaged with other patrons. One man, Wilson Mannon, interacted with them, purchasing drinks for Gibbons. After the bar closed, the group agreed to give Mannon a ride to another location. They drove to a secluded area in Wilmington, where Mannon’s body was later discovered. He had suffered severe blunt force trauma to his head, and evidence from the scene suggested he had been brutally attacked.

The following day, Gibbons contacted her social worker and confessed to the murder, revealing that the group had taken turns attacking Mannon and laughing during the act. This led to the arrest of Nelson, Steven, and Outten, who were charged with first-degree murder.

After the murder, Nelson was implicated in further violence when he attacked an elderly woman under the pretense of assisting her with her car. He attempted to assault her son and stole the woman’s car afterward.

During the investigation, Gibbons provided evidence to the police, though she gave several contradicting statements about the events. In her initial testimony, she implicated only Steven and Outten. Later, she changed her account, admitting all three men participated in the murder.

The prosecution moved to seek death sentences for all three men. The trial was held in February 1993, where Gibbons's testimony varied multiple times, reflecting her complicated feelings towards the Shelton brothers.

Ultimately, all three individuals were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Nelson Shelton was executed on March 17, 1995, after waiving his appeals, while Steven and Outten had their sentences later reduced following various legal appeals and plea agreements.