Why was Sonny Burton sentenced to death?
When is Sonny Burton scheduled to be executed?
What method of execution does Alabama use?
Who is fighting for a pardon for Sonny Burton?
According to the American daily “USA Today”, Alabama applies a law that allows a person involved in a crime to be sentenced to death, even if he or she did not commit the murder. In Burton's case, the jury found him guilty of aggravated murder and unanimously recommended the death penalty. This judgment has been reviewed many times, but no court has decided to invalidate it.
Sonny Burton was sentenced to death. He didn't even witness the murder
Tori Battle, who was just 9 years old when DeBruce killed her father, is one of those fighting for Burton's clemency. And he's been doing it for a long time. As she emphasizes, she does not understand why a man who did not kill her father was sentenced to death.
Some jurors who originally supported the death penalty for Burton are also opposed to the execution. Supporters of the 75-year-old's pardon handed over to Alabama Governor Kay Ivey a petition signed by over 67,000 people. people.
Sonny Burton's execution is scheduled to take place at the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. Alabama has been using nitrogen as a new method of carrying out the death sentence since January 2024. The convict inhales pure gas through a mask, which leads to the displacement of oxygen from the body and, as a result, suffocation. This method is opposed by human rights organizations and the European Union, and witnesses describe it as extremely painful.
