A man on death row for a 1997 murder could face execution later this year following a Harris County District Attorney's Office decision to seek a death warrant. Arthur Burton, 47, has been on death row for around 26 years for the rape and killing of Houston jogger Nancy Adleman, a mother of three. According to court records obtained by the Houston Chronicle, Burton has lost all of his initial and subsequent appeals in the capital murder case.
Burton, who continues to deny any involvement in the crime, has been linked to the trail where Adleman's body was discovered near West Road and Beltway 8, after she failed to return home from jogging. The Houston Chronicle reported that witnesses had seen Burton in the vicinity around the time of Adleman's death. Despite issues with his first defense attorney, that led to a retrial, Burton was again sentenced to death in separate punishment trials in 1998 and 2002.
In an emotional moment after his sentencing, Burton addressed Adleman's family in court. "I'm sorry," Burton said, according to a Chron interview, "... for causing y'all so much pain that day. ... I think about what she said to me, that she forgave me and did I know God. I couldn't understand why she did that but I didn't know God then. I looked for answers but I can tell you now I know God now, and I know I took a special person away from you, and I'm sorry for that." A family member acknowledged the apology, replying simply, "We thank you for your apology. Thank you."
Prosecutors painted a grim picture of a premeditated and remorseless crime, with Devon Anderson calling it a, "premeditated, cold-blooded, senseless and remorseless killing," in a statement relayed by the Chron. On the other hand, the defense tried to sway the jury by highlighting Burton's role as a father, arguing that despite his crime, he should be allowed to remain a part of his children's lives behind bars. However, as prosecutor Chuck Noll pointed out, Adleman's children don't have that luxury. The decision to seek execution comes after the last Harris County inmate, Arthur Brown, was executed in March 2023. Burton could face execution on Aug. 7 in Huntsville, according to the warrant issued by the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
