Alle Mitglieder der „Weißen Rose“ wurden von der Gestapo verhaftet und zum Tode verurteilt.

This is from 17.4
Alle Mitglieder der „Weißen Rose“ wurden von der Gestapo verhaftet und zum Tode verurteilt.
All members of the "White Rose" were arrested by Gestapo and sentenced to death.

I have read that single syllable masculine and neuter nouns can have a "e" added in the dative, but that it old fashioned although still not unusual in formal writing.

Is it normal to use it when friends are chatting as in this instance? Maybe it is a bit awkward to say "Tod verurteilt"?

I asked my german friend about this an she  immediately said  "zum Tode". She was brought up in the 1950's in northern Germany.

I googled zum Tode and zum Tod and it seems that zum Tod is more common at least in a Google search. I got the impression that zum Tode tended to occur when the following word started with a consonant and zum Tod when followed by a vowel. I wonder if there is anything in this?