Utah man jailed 41 years in murder case ordered released after new DNA tests
Douglas Stewart Carter, who spent 41 years on death row, has been released on bail after new DNA evidence excluded him from the 1985 murder scene. While the state has withdrawn its death penalty request, the judge noted that the case remains active and circumstantial evidence could still lead to a trial.
Why it matters
The case highlights issues of wrongful conviction, the role of forensic science in justice, and the long-term impact of the death penalty.
A 71-year-old man who spent 41 years on death row has been ordered released on bail by a Utah judge after new DNA testing excluded him from evidence found at the crime scene. Douglas Stewart Carter was released from the Utah County Jail in Spanish Fork on Monday evening after a bond hearing in the 4th District Court in Provo. State prosecutors said forensic reports received on 22 September showed no match between Carter and genetic material found on the handle of a knife used in the 1985 killing of Eva Olesen, or blood found on a doorknob at the scene. According to court filings reported by Associated Press, Utah County prosecutors withdrew their notice to seek the death penalty last week.
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