Arthur Lee Burton, 54, was executed by lethal injection on Wednesday for the 1997 murder of Nancy Adleman, a mother of three. In his final statement, Burton expressed remorse, saying, “To all the people I have hurt and caused pain, I wish we didn’t have to be here at this moment, but I want to say to you all: I’m sorry.”
Burton’s execution marked the 11th in Texas this year and the 583rd since the state resumed capital punishment in 1982.
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The execution was carried out despite a last-minute appeal to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which argued Burton’s intellectual disability should disqualify him from the death penalty. This appeal was rejected, and the U.S. Supreme Court also denied a stay of execution.
Adleman, a 38-year-old secretary, was found dead in her Arlington, Texas, apartment on April 22, 1997. She had been beaten, stabbed, and sexually assaulted. Burton’s DNA was found at the crime scene, and he was arrested two days later.
During his trial, prosecutors argued that Burton had a history of violence against women and that he deserved the death penalty. Burton’s attorneys presented evidence of his troubled childhood and mental health issues, but the jury ultimately convicted him and sentenced him to death.
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Adleman’s family members witnessed the execution and released a statement afterward, saying they were relieved that justice had finally been served.
“We are grateful that Arthur Burton has finally been held accountable for his horrific crime,” the statement said. “Nancy was a loving mother, daughter, and sister, and her loss has been devastating to our family. We hope that today’s execution brings us some measure of closure.”
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