Arthur Lee Burton was born on March 29, 1970, into a deeply unstable family environment. His upbringing was marked by poverty, neglect, and the absence of a father figure. Burton and his siblings endured frequent hardships — including periods without food or electricity — due to their father’s absence and the family’s financial instability. Despite the difficulties of his early life, Burton eventually became a husband and father, raising three biological children and a stepchild. Those who knew him personally, including his wife and mother, described him as a devoted family man and a hardworking individual who enjoyed building and creating things.

However, Burton’s troubled upbringing coincided with a long pattern of criminal behavior that began during his adolescence. At the age of 16, according to court testimony from his brother Michael Burton, he began using marijuana, and by 17 he was involved in cocaine trafficking. His criminal activities escalated rapidly — by the time he was 18, Burton had committed 39 burglaries in a single month, stealing guns, radios, fishing gear, and calculators alongside accomplices. This early immersion into criminality marked a consistent trajectory of lawlessness and disregard for the law, setting the stage for the violent crime he would commit in adulthood.

On July 29, 1997, in Houston, Texas, Nancy Adleman, a 48-year-old mother, was abducted while jogging. She did not return home that evening, and her body was discovered the following day in a wooded area along Brays Bayou. Her shorts and underwear were found removed, indicating sexual assault. A medical report confirmed she had been strangled with her own shoelaces, and there were bruises on her body showing she had been beaten.

During the investigation, a witness reported seeing an angry man on a bicycle near Nancy's home shortly before she left for her jog. This man was later identified as Arthur Lee Burton. Ten days after the murder, Burton, who was 27 at the time, was questioned by police. He initially denied any involvement. However, discrepancies in his story led police to gather more evidence against him. Eventually, Burton confessed to killing Nancy Adleman.

Burton was charged with capital murder for Adleman's death. The case went to trial in June 1998, where the jury learned that Burton had kidnapped Nancy, attempted to rape her, and strangled her during a struggle. His defense claimed he had not confessed voluntarily, alleging coercion. Nonetheless, the jury found him guilty. He was sentenced to death on June 23, 1998.

After his sentencing, Burton filed multiple appeals, but his conviction and death sentence were repeatedly upheld by various courts, including the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. On May 1, 2024, a death warrant was issued for him, scheduling his execution for August 7, 2024.

On the day of his execution, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene. Arthur Lee Burton was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit. He was pronounced dead at 6:47 PM, just 24 minutes after the lethal drugs were administered. In his final words, he expressed remorse for his actions and said, "Bird is going home."