Man who has spent decades on death row released after DNA evidence

A Utah judge has ordered the release of 71-year-old Douglas Stewart Carter on bail, nearly three decades after his death sentence for a 1985 murder conviction was put into question. Carter was initially found guilty of killing Eva Olesen, an aunt of the Provo police chief at the time, based on a coerced confession and two witnesses who later recanted their statements.

Despite objections from the victim's family, the judge ruled that Carter be released on bail, citing new DNA evidence that did not match him to blood found on a doorknob and genetic material from a knife used in the murder. The judge acknowledged that there was still a possibility a reasonable jury could conclude Carter committed the crime, but decided to release him due to the lack of physical evidence linking him to the crime scene.

Carter will be required to wear a GPS monitor and avoid contact with the Olesen family as conditions of his release. His defense attorney stated that Carter's extended incarceration had caused significant trauma, and that he will need therapy to cope with the experience. The victim's husband, Orla Olesen, expressed serious concerns about Carter's release, stating that they still hope for a concrete DNA match and want justice for his wife.