Utah Frees 71-Year-Old Douglas Carter on Bail After DNA Excludes Him in 1985 Murder
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 30
Utah Frees 71-Year-Old Douglas Carter on Bail After DNA Excludes Him in 1985 Murder
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 30
Summary
Douglas Stewart Carter walked out of a Utah jail late Monday after a judge granted bail, ending decades on death row while he awaits a new trial in Eva Olesen’s 1985 killing.
DNA results received Sept. 22 excluded Carter from blood on a doorknob and genetic material on the knife handle, further weakening a case built on a confession Carter says was coerced.
The Utah Supreme Court had already ordered a new trial last year, citing intentional misconduct by police and a prosecutor; two witnesses who said Carter confessed later recanted and said they were pressured and paid.
Judge Derek Pullan ordered Carter to wear a GPS monitor and avoid Olesen’s family, while prosecutors dropped their bid for the death penalty and said they are still reviewing the remaining evidence.
The victim’s family opposed his release and said the DNA does not prove he was absent, leaving Utah prosecutors to decide whether to keep pursuing the aggravated murder charge.