Utah death-row prisoner released after new DNA analysis of 1985 killing

Douglas Carter, 71, who has spent more than four decades on death row, was released on bail until new trial begins.

Confirmed by 3 independent sources: The Guardian, The New York Times and BBC News Brasil.

Produced by Histor Newsroom · 1 min readPublished September 30, 2026 at 1:48 PM · Updated at 02:19 PM

Utah death-row prisoner released after new DNA analysis of 1985 killing.

Douglas Carter was convicted in 1985 of murdering a 57-year-old woman, according to The New York Times.

What could happen next

He will have to wear a GPS monitoring device until a new trial begins, according to The Guardian and BBC News Brasil.

See how we verified it and its 3 sources

Douglas Carter, 71, who has spent more than four decades on death row, was released on bail until new trial begins A Utah man who has spent more than four decades on death row was released from jail… — confirmed by: The Guardian, BBC News Brasil
Douglas Carter, 71, who has spent more than four decades on death row, was released on bail until new trial begins — confirmed by: The Guardian, BBC News Brasil
A Utah man who has spent more than four decades on death row was released from jail after newly analyzed DNA evidence showed that he was not connected to a 1985 homicide. — confirmed by: The Guardian, BBC News Brasil
A DNA analysis received on 22 September excluded Carter as a possible match to blood found on a doorknob and genetic material recovered from the handle of a knife used to stab Olesen, who was also… — confirmed by: The Guardian, BBC News Brasil
In 1985, Carter was convicted of killing Eva Olesen, the aunt of a former Provo police chief — confirmed by: The Guardian, BBC News Brasil
Though Carter also signed a confession, he has maintained his innocence and said he was coerced into signing it — confirmed by: The Guardian, BBC News Brasil

Douglas Stewart Carter, now 71, walked out of the Utah county jail late on Monday night after a judge ordered his release on bail — The Guardian
Carter was tried again for the killing in 1992 but was again found guilty and sentenced to death — The Guardian
Douglas Carter was convicted in 1985 of murdering a 57-year-old woman — The New York Times
After 37 Years on Death Row, Man Is Freed From Utah Jail — The New York Times

This story was checked against 3 independent sources. We only present as fact what reliable sources confirm; everything else is attributed.

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