Douglas Stewart Carter spent about four decades behind bars, most of it on Utah’s death row, for the 1985 killing of Eva Olesen in Provo. A judge ordered him released on bail late Monday, September 28, after new DNA tests on blood from a doorknob and on the knife handle did not match him.
Story Snapshot
- New DNA tests excluded Carter from blood on a doorknob and from material on the knife handle.
- Prosecutors dropped the death penalty, and an eight-week retrial is set for July 2027.
- Carter says police threatened him into a false confession; two trial witnesses later said police paid them.
- The victim’s family objected to his release.
What The Court Did And Why It Matters
Judge Derek Pullan granted bail to Carter, 71, while he waits for a new trial. Carter must wear a GPS monitor and stay away from the victim’s family. The key reason was the DNA. New lab tests found that blood on a doorknob and material on the handle of the knife used in the attack did not come from Carter.
Prosecutors received the DNA results on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and filed to drop the death penalty the next day. Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray said the results do “not necessarily exonerate Carter of the murder.” He noted that the murder weapon was never recovered and that Carter signed a confession.
71-yr-Old Man Freed on Bail After Spending 41 Years on De@th Row as New DNA Test Clears Him in 1985 M¥rder Case
A 71-year-old man who spent 41 years on de@th row for a 1985 m¥rder has been ordered released on bail after newly analyzed DNA evidence excluded him as a possible… pic.twitter.com/rl9FMqoLNi
— Mayegun (@mayegun1805) September 29, 2026
What The DNA Shows — And What It Does Not
Olesen was shot and stabbed in her Provo home in February 1985, and her hands were tied behind her back. For decades, the case against Carter rested on his confession and on witness testimony. The new results do not tie him to the doorknob or the knife. Prosecutors say other evidence will still be weighed at trial.
Carter has always said he is innocent. He says he falsely confessed after police repeatedly threatened him, and his lawyers have asked the court to keep the confession out of the retrial. His attorney, Neal Hamilton, said, “If the state of Utah had their way, he would have been executed 15, 20 years ago before we discovered the misconduct.”
How We Got Here: Overturned Conviction And New Trial
Carter was sentenced to death twice. Two witnesses who said he bragged about the killing later said they had been told to lie in court and had received cash and gifts from police, who told them not to disclose the payments. They also said police threatened them and their son with deportation if they did not implicate Carter. A lower court granted Carter a new trial, and on May 15, 2025, the Utah Supreme Court upheld that ruling, citing “intentional misconduct” by police and prosecutors.
The victim’s family objected to his release in court. Theresa Olesen said, “By golly we were hoping for a concrete match. It doesn’t mean he wasn’t there.” Carter’s son, Tyler Anger, saw it differently. “I want Doug to put his feet on the grass. He hasn’t done that in 40 years,” he said. The bail ruling does not end the case; it changes where Carter waits for his retrial.
Why This Case Taps A Deeper Public Concern
This case feeds a worry many Americans share: the system can take decades to fix its own mistakes. The crime happened 41 years ago. Carter’s lawyers say police and prosecutors knew about the misconduct for 30 years before the defense learned of it. People across the political spectrum see a pattern here. Institutions move slowly, and errors can last for years before the truth gets a fair test in court.
National research backs that concern. The Office of Justice Programs and the Innocence Project report that DNA has cleared hundreds of people since 1989, many in murder cases. Those same cases show how a confession or paid testimony can carry a case for years. That is why the DNA results weighed so heavily at Carter’s bail hearing.
What To Watch Next
Watch for three things. First, whether the court lets prosecutors use Carter’s confession at the retrial. Second, whether prosecutors go forward with the case or dismiss it. Third, who hears the case: Judge Pullan is retiring before the end of the year, so a different judge will run the eight-week retrial in Utah County’s 4th District Court.
Sources:
abcnews.com, ksl.com, fox13now.com
