Man ordered released on bail after decades on Utah’s death row after DNA tests show no match to him
New DNA results excluded Carter as a match, and prosecutors said they are still assessing the case after dropping plans to seek the death penalty.
- On Monday, a Utah judge ordered the release of Douglas Stewart Carter on bail after he spent 41 years on death row for the 1985 murder of Eva Olesen, following new DNA evidence excluding him as a match.
- Carter was convicted in 1985 based on a confession he claimed was coerced and testimony from two witnesses who later recanted; the Utah Supreme Court ordered a new trial last year, citing multiple instances of intentional misconduct by police and prosecutors.
- Prosecutors withdrew their notice to seek the death penalty last week after DNA analysis received Sept 22 excluded Carter as a match; Utah County prosecutor Erwin Petilos called the bail reassessment 'necessary and fair.'
- During the bond hearing in 4th District Court on Monday, the judge imposed conditions including a GPS monitor; Theresa Olesen, Eva Olesen's daughter-in-law, stated her family has 'serious concerns' about his release pending retrial.
- Attorney Neal Hamilton said Carter is released 'with 41 years of state-induced trauma,' as a two-month retrial is scheduled for 2027 while prosecutors continue evaluating remaining evidence in the case.
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223 Articles
Man Released On Bail After 41 Years On Death Row
After 41 years on death row, a Utah man has been released on bail. New DNA testing found no genetic link between him and the 1985 murder for which he was convicted. Douglas Stewart Carter, now 71, was sentenced to death for killing Eva Olesen in Provo, Utah. He has always maintained his innocence, saying… Continue reading Man Released On Bail After 41 Years On Death Row
Douglas Stewart Carter went to prison in Utah (United States) in 1985 when he was barely 30 years old and has stepped back on the street after more than four decades, despite the death penalty, after a judge granted him bail. The reason: prosecutors claim that the new DNA evidence analyzed does not link him to the crime. Carter, originally from Chicago and currently 71 years old, went into prison after being sentenced to death for the murder of …
A Utah man who spent 41 years behind bars after being sentenced to death in a 1985 murder case has been ordered released on bail after new DNA tests excluded him from crime-scene evidence
After spending 41 years on death row for the murder of Eva Olesen, Douglas Stewart Carter is finally released on bail following new DNA evidence proving his innocence. The Utah Supreme Court acknowledged serious police misconduct in the case. Although some family members of the victim have raised concerns regarding his bail, a retrial is set for 2027, with defense lawyers hopeful to have all charges dismissed.
Douglas Stewart Carter, 71, was sentenced to death for the murder of a woman, although he always maintained his innocence
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