Execution Halted Days Before Scheduled Date Despite Burton Not Pulling the Trigger in 1991 AutoZone Killing
An Alabama man scheduled to be executed by nitrogen hypoxia later this week will now spend the rest of his life in prison after Governor Kay Ivey granted clemency.
Charles Lee “Sonny” Burton, 75, had been set to face execution on March 12 for his role in a 1991 robbery at an AutoZone in Talladega that ended with the death of customer Doug Battle. The decision to commute Burton’s sentence to life without parole came just two days before the scheduled execution.
Governor Ivey said the decision was rooted in fairness and proportionality within the justice system.
“I firmly believe that the death penalty is just punishment for society’s most heinous offenders,” Ivey said in a statement Tuesday. “But a government’s most consequential action must be administered fairly and proportionately.”
Questions Raised Over Burton’s Role in the 1991 Killing
Burton was one of six men involved in the AutoZone robbery. During the crime, Derrick DeBruce shot Battle in the lower back, killing him.
Although Burton participated in the robbery, prosecutors acknowledged he was not inside the store when the shooting occurred and did not order the gunman to fire. Despite that, Burton received the death penalty.
DeBruce, the man who fired the fatal shot, later won a federal appeal that reduced his death sentence to life without parole. The other individuals involved in the robbery also received life sentences.
Ivey said the disparity played a major role in her decision.
“I cannot proceed in good conscience with the execution of Mr. Burton under such disparate circumstances,” she said. “It would be unjust for one participant in this crime to be executed while the participant who pulled the trigger was not.”
Burton Responds After Clemency Decision
Following the governor’s decision, Burton released a statement through his attorneys expressing gratitude.
“She has proven to the people of Alabama, and the world, that she is a responsible governor,” Burton said. “Just saying thank you doesn’t seem like much, but it’s what I can give her. And I do thank her.”
In a recent interview with CNN before the decision, Burton acknowledged his role in the robbery but maintained he was not responsible for the killing.
“I didn’t kill no one, true enough, but I made a mistake by being part of the crime,” Burton said. “I made a mistake, and it seems like all my friends have forgiven me.”
Attorney General Criticizes Clemency Decision
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall criticized the governor’s decision, arguing Burton was still responsible for the crime that led to Battle’s death. “I am deeply disappointed to learn that Governor Ivey has commuted the death sentence of Sonny Burton,” Marshall said in a statement.
Marshall added that Burton organized the armed robbery and held a gun to the store manager’s head during the crime.
“While the media has done its best to paint Mr. Burton as a harmless, decrepit old man, he is a murderer,” Marshall said.
Public Pressure and Clemency Campaign
Burton’s clemency request drew significant public attention in the days leading up to his scheduled execution. A petition calling for the governor to commute his sentence gathered more than 60,000 signatures.
Alice Marie Johnson, who serves as President Donald Trump’s pardon czar, also publicly supported the clemency decision.
“Mercy saves lives,” Johnson wrote in a post on X, thanking Ivey for what she described as courageous leadership.
With the commutation finalized, Burton will now serve life in prison without the possibility of parole for his role in the robbery that resulted in Battle’s death.
