In a quiet home on Pershing Avenue in St. Louis' Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood, a domestic dispute escalated to a fatal conclusion for 70-year-old Herbert Nelson. On the evening of August 20, 2025, police discovered the elderly man deceased on his living room couch, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The male victim's death was the result of a shooting that authorities believe was domestic in nature.
The subsequent investigation into Herbert Nelson's death led to the arrests of
his wife and son. Beverly Joann Nelson, 73 years old at the time, was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with her husband's shooting. Police allege that she shot her husband during an argument. Her son, 45-year-old William Nelson, faced charges of hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence.
Authorities reported that when medics and officers first arrived at the Nelson home to check on a report of an unresponsive man, William Nelson met them outside and claimed no one required medical assistance, leading to the initial call being dismissed as unfounded. Hours later, a second call brought police back to the residence where they found Herbert Nelson's body. According to court records, William Nelson later admitted to witnessing his mother shoot his father and confessed to misleading the police in an effort to protect her. He also reportedly assisted in cleaning up the crime scene. While Beverly Nelson initially told investigators she was unaware of how her husband had been shot, the witness account from her son was a pivotal development in the case.
