Utah man released on bail after decades on death row as DNA evidence prompts case review
publishers 15articles 16first reported 29 Sep, 00:09 UTCdeveloping since 29 Sep · 3 editions
A 71-year-old man who spent more than four decades on Utah’s death row was released on bail Monday after newly analyzed DNA evidence did not match him.
Douglas Stewart Carter was convicted and sentenced to death in 1985 for the killing of Eva Olesen, who was stabbed and shot in her Provo home. Utah’s Supreme Court ordered a new trial last year after finding misconduct by investigators. Carter has maintained his innocence and says his signed confession was coerced. Two witnesses who testified that he had bragged about the killing later recanted.
Prosecutors said DNA results received Sept. 22 excluded Carter as a possible source of blood found on a doorknob and genetic material recovered from the handle of the knife used to stab Olesen. Utah County prosecutor Erwin Petilos told the court that reassessing Carter’s bail was “necessary and fair” while the state reviews the remaining evidence.
Judge Derek Pullan said the DNA findings further weakened the case, although a reasonable jury could still find Carter guilty. Pullan ordered Carter to wear a GPS monitor and avoid contact with Olesen’s family, which opposed his release. Fox 13 reported that Carter left jail Monday evening.
A retrial had been scheduled for 2027. Utah County prosecutors withdrew their notice of intent to seek the death penalty last week but have not announced whether they will proceed with the retrial.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Reconstructed on 2 October 2026. The machine was off on this day, so no feed was read and no run took place. This edition was rebuilt afterwards from sources that keep history (Google News's dated search, GDELT, Reddit) and from articles the next runs still found, ranked as of the day's end: one edition, not the day's four runs.
Written from 4 articles, headlines and summaries only; 3 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
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- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
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WHAT THE EDITOR DID
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