It just goes against nature.”Burton had been on death row since 1992 for the killing of Doug Battle during a robbery at a Talladega AutoZone. “I firmly believe that the death penalty is just punishment for society’s most heinous offenders, as shown by the 25 executions I have presided over as governor,” Ivey wrote. William James, who spent more than two decades as a sergeant on death row at Holman correctional facility and was present for 37 executions, also spoke out. While he didn’t object to capital punishment, Burton’s case gave him pause. It’s hard for me to walk away from this and say: ‘This is progress.’”Schulz agreed that there are limitations in the strategy they used in Burton’s case.

Source: The Guardian April 08, 2026 14:01 UTC