A gubernatorial candidate is calling for clemency for a man scheduled to be executed next week, arguing that Alabama’s felony murder law has led to an unjust outcome in the decades-old Talladega case.
Charles “Sonny” Burton is set to be executed on March 12, 2026, for his role in the 1991 robbery and killing of Doug Battle in Talladega.
On August 6, 1991, Battle was shopping for auto supplies when he was shot and killed during a robbery, but Burton did not pull the trigger.
In a statement released this week, Will Boyd said all Alabamians deserve safe communities and fair enforcement of the law, particularly in cases involving violent crime.
“When a crime occurs, especially one that takes a life, we call for justice to be dispensed swiftly and fairly,” Boyd said in a statement.
Burton was convicted of capital murder under Alabama’s felony murder rule, which allows a defendant to face the death penalty if a killing occurs during the commission of certain felonies, even if the defendant did not personally carry out the fatal act.
According to the statement, Burton was not the gunman in the robbery and had left the building before the fatal shot was fired. His co-defendant, Derrick DeBruce, described as the shooter, was sentenced to life without parole and later died while serving that sentence.
“Executing a man that did not commit the act that took a man’s life, while enforcing a lesser sentence to the one who did, is a miscarriage of justice that should not be allowed to stand,” said Boyd.
The statement also notes that Battle’s daughter has called for clemency, as have several jurors who participated in the original trial, arguing that the disparity in sentences does not reflect equal justice under the law.
Alabama’s capital murder statute, Section 13A-5-40, was enacted in 1976 and is considered among the strictest in the nation. Boyd called for a review of the law, citing more than 200 death row exonerations nationwide since 1973 as evidence of the fallibility of the system.
“As a gubernatorial candidate who recognizes the gravity of this case, and the fact that both family and jurors are calling for clemency, I know that the executive role of this state requires those that will evaluate the full circumstances of a difficult situation like this based on fact, not fear,” said Boyd.
Boyd concluded by formally urging clemency for Burton, framing the request as a matter of equal application of justice under Alabama law.
Burton’s execution remains scheduled for March 12.
