Arthur Burton is scheduled for execution in Texas on August 7, 2024 for the 1997 murder of Nancy Adleman.

Arthur Burton, 47, has been on death row since 1998 for the rape and killing of Houston jogger Nancy Adleman, a mother of three. Burton has lost all of his initial and subsequent appeals. His 1998 death sentence was vacated and he was sentenced to death again in 2002.  He expressed deep remorse directly to the victim's family at his sentencing.

Burton's verifiable claims of intellectual disability, as measured in contemporary standards, have been denied by the courts.  At this writing (8/5/24) his petitions are before the US Supreme Court.

Please call Governor Abbott at 512-462-2000 to urge that he halt this and all Texas executions.  

Texas' aggressive execution schedule marks it as an outlier in its use of the death penalty while the majority of other states are on a downward trend of executions. In the last few years, Texas has been one of only a handful of states that have carried out death sentences - and it continues to do so targeting the poor, the mentally ill and people of color.

Please sign the petition asking Governor Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to do everything within their power to stop this execution, including issuing a stay, and seeking a path to clemency in the case.

Additionally, you may reach out now to the Board at bpp_clemency@tdcj.texas.gov and the Governor at https://gov.texas.gov/contact/and (512) 463-1782. You can simply leave a voice message, or choose to speak to a representative if you prefer.

Please note: In Texas, the Governor does have limited power when it comes to the death penalty. But the story we are told that "it's out of the governor's hands," is only true if we allow it to be. Yes, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles must recommend clemency in that state in order for the Governor to grant clemency (mercy) by commuting a death sentence. But the fact is that the governor appoints the members of the Board of Pardons and Paroles. He can choose to appoint members who will take valid claims and concerns more seriously, instead of acting like rubber-stamping gate-keepers. He can still use his position of power and influence to enact justice in the State of Texas