“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 said. The daughter of the shooting victim, Tori Battle, who was nine when her father died, also voiced her support for Burton. His death had a bearing on Ivey’s subsequent decision to commute Burton’s death sentence. Marshall told NBC News, Burton did not deserve special treatment because of his age, arguing the execution could have taken place years earlier if Burton had not pursued repeated appeals. Sign up for Herald Premium here.
