Steven Nelson answered an gay escort ad online and it cost him his life.

The Idaho man was brutally beaten – including being kicked 30 times by a man with steel-toed boots as he begged for his life – and left for dead on Friday (29 April).

Nelson, 49, was stripped naked in 30 degree weather, robbed and his car was stolen.

He managed to make it to a nearby house to get help but later died in the hospital. But Nelson surived long enough to provide police with key details of the attack.

Four men have been arrested in the attack including Kelly Schneider who was allegedly the man in the ad and the ringleader.

Nelson had met with Schneider in the parking lot of Wal-Mart and the suspect was later joined by three other men once at Gotts Point who prosecutors identify as Jayson Woods, Kevin Tracy and Daniel Henkel.

All were arraigned on Monday (2 May) on first-degree murder, robbery and other charges and are being held without bail.

Schneider’s alleged cohorts are pointing the finger at him.

‘The others are alleged that he’s the one who met with him, he’s the one who kicked Mr. Nelson over and over again, with steel-toed boots,’ Deputy Prosecutor Chris Boyd tells KTVB.

‘He’s the one, who in a very depraved fashion, took his clothes, his wallet, took his keys and left him literally naked out in 30 degree weather early in the morning.’

Prosecutors have not ruled out seeking the death penalty.

Nelson was an openly gay man who managed a call center Boise State University and in 2014 appeared in a gay marriage documentary called Little Blue Dots.