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Alabama sets execution for man in auto parts store customer’s death
Charles "Sonny" Burton will be executed despite not pulling the trigger; prosecutors called him the robbery ringleader and his sentence has been upheld at all levels.
- Setting an execution date, Alabama scheduled the August 16, 2026, execution using nitrogen gas for Charles `Sonny` Burton, 75.
- Prosecutors had argued Burton was the ringleader and the jury recommended the death penalty in April 1992 after his conviction as an accomplice in the Aug. 16 robbery that killed Doug Battle.
- Derrick DeBruce fired the gun, was initially sentenced to death, later had his sentence reduced to life and died in prison.
- Supporters urged Gov. Kay Ivey to consider clemency, while Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall's office opposed it, citing upheld convictions.
- With authority to reprieve or commute, Gov. Kay Ivey has granted clemency once since 2017, but Matt Schulz, Burton's attorney, urged her to stop the execution after the date was set.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources9
Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Center
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
56% Center
L 44%
C 56%
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