- Carter spent 41 years on death row in Utah.
- DNA analysis excluded Carter as a possible match to blood on a doorknob and genetic material from the knife handle.
- A Utah judge ordered Carter's release on bail.
Douglas Stewart Carter, now 71, was released on bail after 41 years on death row for the 1985 murder of Eva Olesen in Utah. The state Supreme Court ordered a new trial last year due to investigative misconduct and new DNA evidence that excluded him as a match.
Carter was convicted based on a coerced confession and witness testimony, which was later recanted. Witnesses claimed they were bribed and threatened by police to testify against him. The DNA analysis revealed that blood found on a doorknob and genetic material from a knife did not match Carter, leading to his release on bail despite objections from the victim's family. He is required to wear a GPS monitor while on bail.
Olesen, the aunt of a local police chief, was brutally murdered in her home in Provo, Utah, in February 1985. Carter's case highlights the potential for wrongful convictions based on unreliable evidence and the importance of DNA testing in the justice system.
“Prosecutors this month said DNA analysis excluded Carter as a possible match to blood on a doorknob and genetic material from the knife handle. The release follows a lengthy legal battle over his conviction, with the judge's decision marking a significant turn in the case.”
BBC
