After more than four decades in prison, including years on Utah’s death row, Douglas Stewart Carter has been released on bail after newly analyzed DNA evidence excluded him from key evidence in the 1985 murder that led to his conviction.
A Utah judge ordered the 71-year-old Carter released Monday, September 28. He must wear a GPS monitor and avoid contact with the victim’s family while awaiting a new trial.
Carter was convicted of killing Eva Olesen, a Provo woman and the aunt of the city’s police chief at the time. Olesen was found dead in her home after being stabbed multiple times and shot.
Carter has maintained his innocence. His conviction relied largely on a confession he says was coerced and testimony from two witnesses who claimed he had confessed. Both later recanted, alleging that police threatened and pressured them and offered benefits in exchange for their testimony.
A court overturned Carter’s conviction in 2022. The Utah Supreme Court later ordered a new trial, citing investigator misconduct in the original case.
New DNA Evidence Raises More Questions
Prosecutors recently tested previously available crime-scene evidence. According to court records and prosecutors, the analysis excluded Carter as a possible contributor to blood found on a doorknob and genetic material recovered from the knife handle.
The Utah County Attorney’s Office has withdrawn its notice seeking the death penalty while it reassesses the case.
Carter has not been formally cleared. He still faces an aggravated murder charge, and prosecutors continue to evaluate the remaining evidence ahead of a possible new trial.
A New Chapter After 41 Years
Carter left the Utah County Jail Monday with belongings accumulated during more than 40 years in state custody. It was his first release from the state’s correctional system in decades.
His attorney, Neal Hamilton, said Carter faces a difficult adjustment after spending most of his adult life incarcerated. Carter is also expected to receive therapy as he adapts to life outside prison.
The release has renewed scrutiny of the investigation and the evidence used to convict him. Olesen’s family has expressed concern and said the DNA findings raise difficult questions. The family said its focus remains on Olesen and determining what happened to her.
Carter’s legal battle continues, but after 41 years behind bars and the overturning of his death sentence, he can now prepare for his next chapter while the case proceeds through the courts.
Y’all Know What will continue to follow this developing story as new information becomes available.
