Alabama to execute man who didn’t pull the trigger

Alabama is set to execute Charles 'Sonny' Burton, a death-row inmate who did not kill anyone, under the felony murder rule tied to a 1991 AutoZone robbery in Talladega. Burton says he left the store before the fatal shooting by a accomplice; prosecutors argue he led the robbery. Despite pleas from the victim’s daughter and some jurors, Gov. Ivey has shown no sign of clemency. If carried out, the execution would use nitrogen gas, a method Alabama has employed since 2024. The case highlights concerns that felony murder can punish people who did not fire the fatal shot, a debate echoed in other cases as clemency remains rare.