Man ordered released on bail after decades on Utah’s death row after DNA tests show no match to him, tell me about this news in (https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/28/us/douglas-carter-utah-death-row-released-dna)

Douglas Stewart Carter, a 71-year-old man who spent decades on Utah’s death row, was ordered to be released on bail after new DNA testing showed no match to him.

Carter was originally sentenced to death in 1985 for the murder of Eva Olesen. However, his conviction and death sentence were overturned by the Utah Supreme Court following revelations of investigator and prosecutorial misconduct during the original proceedings.

Recently, state crime lab DNA testing on key crime scene evidenceincluding a doorknob and a knife handleexcluded Carter as a contributor. Following these results, prosecutors dropped their pursuit of the death penalty. Although prosecutors stated that the new evidence does not automatically exonerate him and pointed to a previously contested confession, a judge subsequently ordered his release on bail as the legal team prepares for potential further proceedings.