41 years on death row — then the DNA didn't match

Douglas Stewart Carter, 71, walked out of a Utah jail on bail this week after 41 years on death row for the 1985 killing of Eva Olesen. Newly analyzed DNA tests excluded him as the source of blood found on a doorknob and genetic material on the knife handle. The Utah Supreme Court had already ordered a new trial last year, citing intentional misconduct by investigators, and prosecutors dropped their bid to seek the death penalty. Carter still faces a new trial in 2027 — but the case that once had him hours from execution is collapsing.