Next week,
the state of Alabama plans to execute Charles "Sonny" Burton, a 75-year-old man who has spent more than 30 years on death row -- even though he did not kill anyone.They will strap a mask to his face and administer nitrogen gas,
slowly and painfully suffocating him for minutes…punishment for a murder he did not commit.In 1991, Burton took part in a robbery at an auto parts store in Talladega, Florida.
When a customer was tragically shot and killed, Burton had already left the store. He never fired a weapon. He never intended for anyone to get hurt or be killed. Even the man who did pull the trigger had his death sentence reduced to life in prison.
But Alabama is now preparing to execute Burton anyway.We only have until March 12. Sign the petition now to tell Governor Kay Ivey: halt this unjust execution!Some directly connected to Burton's case are pleading for mercy.
Three jurors from Burton's trial are explicitly asking for Burton's life to be spared, "saying they never would have recommended a death sentence if the shooter was getting a lesser sentence."
The truth is, the death penalty itself is deeply flawed and must be abolished entirely. It is shaped by racial bias, human error, and a long history of injustice. More than 200 people have been
exonerated from death row in the United States since 1973 -- more than 200 lives almost ended for no reason.
It is horrific to think of how many people have been killed who were in fact innocent.The last prisoner that Alabama executed using nitrogen gas was
Anthony Boyd in October, 2025.
Boyd's suffocation lasted 38 minutes, the longest execution in recorded history, during which he thrashed and struggled in pain -- it was pure torture. To make matters worse, experts say that a lack of evidence, poor trial, and prosecution bias could have unjustly sent Boyd to his death.
There is no way to guarantee that innocent people won't be killed while the death penalty is legal. The system gets it wrong far too often. And there is no way to execute a person and guarantee that the method is not "cruel and unusual punishment," which is unconstitutional according to the 8th Amendment.
We must stop the state sanctioned murder of Charles Burton before it is too late! The victim's own daughter has asked the state not to carry out the execution, recognizing what should be obvious: execution is not a just punishment. Two wrongs do not make a right, and more death is just more tragedy.
Governor Kay Ivey has the power to stop this execution.Add your name now and demand that Governor Ivey halt the execution of Charles Burton before it's too late!