Utah Judge Orders Release of Douglas Carter After 41 Years on Death Row Following DNA Exclusion
Douglas Carter, 71, was released on bail from Utah County Jail on September 28, 2026, after spending 41 years in prison, including decades on death row, for the 1985 murder of Eva Olesen. Judge Derek Pullan granted release after new DNA testing excluded Carter from crime scene samples and prosecutors dropped the death penalty. Carter faces strict bail conditions, including a GPS monitor and curfew, while his attorneys call for the case to be dismissed. The victim's family opposes the release, arguing the DNA exclusion does not prove innocence.