Alabama man faces execution despite not pulling the trigger in auto store customer’s death
February 3, 2026
Charles “Sonny” Burton faces execution in Alabama for his role in a 1991 robbery in which a man was fatally shot, even though Burton did not fire the gun or witness the killing. The man who pulled the trigger, Derrick DeBruce, was also sentenced to death but later was resentenced to life in prison. Burton’s attorneys, the victim’s daughter and several jurors now urge Gov. Kay Ivey to grant clemency. They say the case raises serious questions of fairness. Matt Schulz, Burton’s attorney, said the case “represents an extreme outlier” among capital cases. Prosecutors argued Burton was a leader of the robbery and culpable for the death.