US EditionDeath row inmate spared days before execution following protests
Governor Kay Ivey cited fairness concerns and support from the victim's daughter in commuting Sonny Burton's death sentence amid public protests and clemency appeals.
- On Tuesday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey commuted Sonny Burton’s death sentence, sparing the elderly inmate who was set for execution on March 12, 2026, in Montgomery, Alabama.
- Protesters and clemency supporters pressed for mercy, including a Feb. 16, 2026 gathering at the Alabama Governor’s Mansion, while Tori Battle, victim’s daughter, and Alabama felony-murder law concerns influenced calls after DeBruce’s 2020 prison death.
- Attorney General Steve Marshall criticised the decision, saying Burton had Battle’s 'blood on his hands', and Burton told CNN, 'I didn’t kill no one, true enough, but I made a mistake by being part of the crime.'
- DeBruce’s 2020 prison death influenced the review, and Ivey framed her decision around fairness to protect the death penalty’s viability while highlighting debate over Alabama’s felony-murder rule.
- National attention around the case elevated scrutiny of clemency, highlighting Alabama felony-murder law and national social media campaigns that pressured reconsideration.
17 Articles
17 Articles
In the Room Where Death Row Prisoners Say Final Goodbyes, He Learned He Would Live
On the day after Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey commuted his death sentence, halting his execution two days before he was supposed to die, Charles “Sonny” Burton sat in his wheelchair in a visiting room at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Ala., drinking a Coke and eating a Reese’s peanut butter cup. He could not stop smiling. “I’m feeling wonderful,” Burton told me. Burton, 75, wore white sneakers and a brace on his right hand, his tan quilted jac…
Charles Burton has been in prison in the U.S. for over 30 years. He never killed anyone, should still die because of a controversial law.
der Standard AT
der Standard DEIn 1991, a 75-year-old was involved in a robbery at a store where a customer was killed. His death sentence was converted into life imprisonment without parole.
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