US Man Walks Free After 41 Years On Death Row

A 71-year-old American man, Douglas Stewart Carter, has been released on bail after spending 41 years behind bars, much of that time on death row, following new DNA evidence that failed to link him to the 1985 murder for which he was convicted.

Carter was convicted of killing 57-year-old Eva Olesen in Provo, Utah, in February 1985 and was sentenced to death. Olesen, who was the aunt of the local police chief at the time, was found dead in her home after being stabbed several times and shot in the back of the head.

Carter, who is originally from Chicago, had been living with his mother in Utah when the killing occurred. Police eventually suspected him of carrying out the murder during a robbery, and he was later arrested in Nashville, Tennessee, after leaving Utah.

During police interrogation, Carter signed a confession but has consistently maintained that it was coerced. His conviction was based largely on the confession and the evidence provided by two witnesses who claimed he had bragged about killing Olesen.

The two witnesses later recanted their testimony. In 2011, they reportedly said they had been instructed to lie in court and alleged that police had provided them with money and gifts while threatening them and their son with deportation if they did not testify against Carter.

Carter’s lawyers also argued that there was no physical evidence connecting him to the crime scene. The Utah Supreme Court ordered a new trial last year after citing misconduct by investigators, reopening a case that had kept Carter behind bars for more than four decades.

The latest development came after prosecutors received DNA results on September 22, 2026. The analysis excluded Carter as a possible match to blood found on a doorknob and genetic material recovered from the handle of the knife used in the killing.

Following the DNA findings, Utah County prosecutors withdrew their previous notice that they intended to seek the death penalty in Carter’s upcoming retrial. A new trial is still scheduled for 2027, meaning the murder charge has not been dismissed and Carter has not yet received a final court declaration of innocence.

Utah Fourth District Judge Derek Pullan nevertheless ordered Carter released on bail on September 28. The judge said the DNA results significantly weakened the case against him, although he noted that a jury could still consider the remaining evidence when the case goes to trial.

As part of his release conditions, Carter must wear a GPS monitor, observe an 11pm curfew, find employment, participate in a re-entry programme and have no contact with Olesen’s family. He is expected to stay near the family of his son while he awaits the new trial.

Carter’s lawyer, Neal Hamilton, said his client had spent 15,085 days in custody and described the impact of his prolonged imprisonment as lasting trauma. He said Carter was arrested as a young man and is now leaving custody at 71 after losing more than four decades of his life.

The case has drawn renewed attention to the danger of wrongful convictions, particularly where convictions depend heavily on disputed confessions and witness testimony. Carter’s case remains before the court, with prosecutors continuing to review the evidence ahead of the scheduled 2027 retrial.

About The Author