CLINTON DEVON NELSON
By his mother, Carolyn Johnson
On August 9, 1985, Clinton Devon Nelson came into this world screaming and bruised. I was young and it had been a very difficult pregnancy and delivery; but this was one of the happiest days of my life. I used to joke about my son being born with bumps and bruises and, as it turned out, he had perpetual bumps and bruises the rest of his life. Clinton was always accident prone and always taking risks His thrill-seeking side took him down many paths; some I would not have chosen for my son. He was not a follower…he was a trailblazer. He never took the easy route and the paths he chose usually led him to more bumps and bruises. At times, Clinton would struggle as he grew and felt he did not fit in with the family. I disagreed…as he was the energy and part of the heart of our family. He loved to make us laugh.
When Clinton was 20 years old, he moved to Louisiana to reconnect with his biological father and his family. His father had given up all custody rights when Clinton was a little boy. I was most concerned about this move, because his father had led a completely different lifestyle than the one I had provided for my son.. I had hoped that his father had changed and that he would work with me in keeping Clinton on a healthy path; hence enabling his growth and strength.
A few months after Clinton’s move to Louisiana, he was hired to work on an oil rig. He was so pleased and very proud. He loved the thrill of this new job (often times dangerous) and the money he earned. He had dreamed of eventually becoming a Driller and, had he lived, would have accomplished this dream.
On the evening of September 1, 2006, while visiting with a friend, I was suddenly overcome with a most sickening feeling. I immediately felt something was wrong and I knew it involved my son, Clinton. I debated about calling him, but decided not to bother my independent 21-year-old with unfounded worries of his mother. Two days later (September 3rd), I received a call from Clinton’s biological father, asking if I had spoken to my son. He told me Clinton was missing; that no one had seen him since Friday night. The local police, according to his father, refused to file a missing persons report in hopes he would eventually show up. After several attempts, a report was finally submitted only after Clinton did not show up for work. This was the beginning of a nightmare that will never end!
Approximately one week later, I received another call from Clinton’s biological father. He proceeded to tell me that law enforcement suspected foul play and that they had activated cadaver dogs in a search of the woods. I literally fell apart; I could not breathe. My son is missing and now presumed murdered! I immediately placed a call to the local police department and left a message for the detective to return my call. Within a short time, I received that return call. I repeated the information that I had received from Clinton’s father. The detective rebuked this information; indicating they did not suspect foul play and there were no searches being conducted. He further suggested that.. “Your son is a young man. He is probably shacked up with some girl and he will turn up.”
It has been three (3) years since the disappearance of my son, Clinton. There have been so many conflicting stories/theories and so-called witnesses . But, one story stands out above all the others; that Clinton was the victim of a robbery and beating, which resulted in his death. The local law enforcement reports that even though there is no evidence of foul play, they speculate that foul play was involved and the case remains an open investigation. There have been three (3) searches conducted by Texas EquuSearch, but to no avail. My son is missing and I have no answers! I do believe my son is dead, foul play is involved and the people responsible are still out there…perpetuating constant agony and pain for my family.
If anyone has information regarding the disappearance of my son, Clinton Devon Nelson, please contact Detective Charles Owens, Bossier Parrish Sheriff’s Office at (318) 965-2203.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Johnson
A Message From Carolyn Johnson, Mother of Clinton Nelson
To all of those who have tried to help our family find out what happened to Clinton. I want to say thank you! We have been blessed over the last three years. We have met so many people that have been real blessings to our family.
I am writing this to the person or person’s that are responsible for the disappearance of my son. My son Clinton Devon Nelson – disappeared on September 1 2006. I will never forget how terrifying those words were when I first heard them “Clinton is missing”. I know that for weeks, I felt like I was jumping out of my skin everytime the phone rang. As terrible as those words were – I could never have imagined that we would still be going through this 3 years later! The sad part is that we don’t have any more answers today than we had then….we only have more questions. We have done a total of four searches. I have heard every theory from his death was accidental to his death involves foul play. I have gone door to door asking questions. We have followed up on every lead. Everyone, including law enforcement seems to agree that in all likelyhood, my boy is dead. I have heard so many horrifying rumors, with no way of knowing what is real and what is not! Here is what I know – I will not stop looking for answers about what has happened to my son! I am learning to live with my new normal – my broken heart is healing and will always show the scars. I don’t know why this happened…I don’t know exactly what happened. I know that when God wants me to know…I will know! I know that God can forgive anything, and I pray that the person(s) responsible for the loss of my son – will be forgiven! I pray for your souls! Even if I am not meant to know what happened in my life time, even if those that are responsible for our loss are never held responsible for your involvement in my son’s disappearance….you will not escape the consequences of your actions in the end. My question for you…would you prefer to accept responsibility for your actions on this earth….or for all eternity?
To those of you that know the person(s) responsible, you have an opportunity! We are offering a $25,000 reward for the location of my son’s remains and the arrest of the person(s) responsible. I ask you to look at the person you love the most…how would you feel if that person was taken from you? How would you feel if you were never allowed to say good bye? How would you feel if you were never allowed to give your lost loved one a proper burial? If the thought of this is terrifying you…than I beg you to come forward with the information we need to hold the person(s) responsible for the loss of our son! You can contact me at find-clinton@hotmail.com or you can contact law enforcement at 318-965-2203 or America’s Most Wanted at 1-800-CRIME-TV. Imagine what $25,000 could do for your family….
Clinton Nelson – Missing 09/01/06 – 09/01/09
