DNA Test Frees Man From Utah Death Row After Decades
A Utah judge ordered Douglas Stewart Carter, 71, released on bail Monday after new DNA results excluded him from crime-scene evidence in the 1985 murder of Eva Olesen. He had been on death row since his conviction that same year.
- DNA results received Sept. 22 exclude Carter from blood on a doorknob and genetic material on the murder weapon.
- 41 years on death row: Carter was convicted in 1985, retried and re-sentenced in 1992.
- Two original trial witnesses later said police paid them and threatened deportation to secure their testimony.
- The Utah Supreme Court last year cited "multiple instances of intentional misconduct" and ordered a new trial.
Why it matters: The case raises direct questions about the reliability of confessions, witness payments, and DNA's role in reviewing old convictions. A man faced execution without physical evidence tying him to the scene.
- Judge Derek Pullan said the DNA results further undermined the case but did not rule out guilt — a reasonable jury could still convict, he said.
- Carter's defense attorneys allege investigators suppressed evidence pointing to other suspects, including the victim's husband, Orla Olesen, who died in 2009.
How 10 sources split on this story
Where they split: Coverage does not divide on the facts, but the victim's family and the defense are directly at odds over whether Carter's release is warranted before trial.
Center coverage, 4 sources: The center presents the procedural facts of the DNA exclusion and bail order, including the judge's caution that a jury could still find Carter guilty, without foregrounding the racial or systemic angles.
Associated Press3hMan ordered released on bail after decades on Utah’s death row after DNA tests show no match to himCNCTV News42mUtah judge orders man who spent decades on death row released after DNA tests show no match to himLeft coverage, 4 sources: The left emphasizes the racial dimension of the original conviction, the documented police misconduct, and the human toll of four decades of incarceration on a man who says he was coerced.
CNN3hMan ordered released on bail after decades on Utah’s death row after DNA tests show no match to him
The Independent3hMan ordered released on bail after decades on Utah’s death row after DNA tests show no match to him
CBS News1hMan who spent decades on death row in Utah ordered released on bail after no DNA matchTBGThe Boston Globe3hMan ordered released after decades on Utah death row
What’s next: A two-month retrial remains scheduled for 2027; charges have not been dismissed.
- Prosecutors declined to say whether the DNA profile is being used to search for other suspects.
- Will prosecutors drop the remaining charges, or proceed to the 2027 retrial?
- Does the unmatched DNA profile point to an alternative suspect, and will investigators pursue one?
- What evidence, beyond the excluded DNA, does the state believe still supports the case?