Alabama is scheduled to execute Charles “Sonny” Burton, 75, on March 12, a case that has drawn international scrutiny due to the unusual circumstances surrounding his conviction. The planned execution highlights the controversial application of felony murder laws and raises questions about culpability in violent crimes.
Burton, who uses a wheelchair and wears a padded helmet due to frequent falls, was sentenced to death for his role in a 1991 robbery of an AutoZone store in Talladega, Alabama. While Burton had already left the store when a co-robber, Derrick DeBruce, shot and killed a man named Doug Battle, he was still deemed liable for the murder under Alabama’s felony murder law. This law states that anyone participating in a felony during which a death occurs can be charged with first-degree murder, regardless of their direct involvement in the killing.
Despite not firing the weapon, Burton was convicted and sentenced to death. DeBruce, the actual shooter, was initially also sentenced to death, but later had his sentence reduced to life without parole in 2014. If the execution proceeds, Burton will be the only person put to death for Battle’s murder, a fact that has sparked outrage from advocates against the death penalty. Clemency has been rarely granted in Alabama, with only one case receiving a reprieve since 1999.
The case underscores the broad reach of accomplice liability under felony murder laws, which exist in most states. These laws allow for an expansive net of culpability, holding all involved in a felony equally responsible for any resulting death. Experts have expressed concern over the fairness of executing someone who did not directly commit the act of violence.
Alabama has a high rate of executions and a history of problematic cases. The Equal Justice Initiative notes that the state has executed 83 people since 1983, including 12 individuals whose juries recommended life sentences. Recent executions, such as that of Anthony Boyd in 2025, have been marred by concerns over unreliable testimony and the use of experimental execution methods, like nitrogen suffocation, which resulted in a prolonged and controversial process.
