Alabama stopped a high-profile scheduled execution just days before it was set to happen. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey commuted the controversial death sentence of Charles “Sonny” Burton on Tuesday, sparing the 75-year-old inmate who had been scheduled to die later this week for his role in a 1991 robbery that ended in a customer’s death. Burton’s punishment is now life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Burton had been sentenced to death for the killing of Doug Battle during a robbery at an AutoZone auto parts store in Talladega. Prosecutors argued Burton organized the armed robbery and held a gun to the store manager’s head. However, Burton had already left the building when another participant, Derrick DeBruce, shot and killed Battle.
Both men were originally convicted of capital murder, but DeBruce’s death sentence was later overturned. He was resentenced to life in prison and later died while incarcerated.
Ivey said the unequal outcomes played a major role in her decision. She noted that while she supports capital punishment, the circumstances in Burton’s case raised concerns about fairness.
“I believe it would be unjust for one participant in this crime to be executed while the participant who pulled the trigger was not,” Ivey said in a statement. “To be clear, Mr. Burton will not be eligible for parole and will rightfully spend the remainder of his life behind bars for his role in the robbery that led to the murder of Doug Battle. He will now receive the same punishment as the triggerman.”
Burton had been set to die by nitrogen gas on Thursday, a method Alabama began using in 2024.
His daughter, Lois Harris, reacted emotionally to the news. “I’m just so happy, so happy. It’s just tears of joy,” she said.
In a statement through his attorneys, Burton also thanked the governor.
“Just saying thank you doesn’t seem like much. But it’s what I can give her,” he said.
