Crime & Law

DNA Evidence Excludes Death Row inmate

28 Sep to 4 Oct
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DNA Evidence Excludes Death Row inmate. (2026, October 13). The Aporia. https://the-aporia.com/event/42134

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The prosecutors said results of a DNA analysis received Sept. 22 exclude 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 shot.

What happened

The outlets' own sentences, most widely reported first. Hover or tap one to see who reported it.

More than a decade of legal wrangling followed before the Utah Supreme Court last year ordered a new trial, citing “multiple instances of intentional misconduct” by police and a prosecutor.

6 of 6 outletsfirst reported 28 Sepwording from Toronto Star

Carter’s defense attorneys have said witnesses saw a white man fleeing the crime scene and an investigator suppressed evidence pointing to other suspects, including the victim’s husband, Orla Olesen.

6 of 6 outletsfirst reported 28 Sepwording from Toronto Star

Orla Olesen, a painting contractor who died in 2009, told police he found his wife dead in their home, partially undressed and with her hands tied behind her back.

6 of 6 outletsfirst reported 28 Sepwording from Toronto Star

A Utah man will be released on bail after spending decades on death row, following newly analysed DNA evidence from a murder he was convicted of in 1985.

6 of 6 outletsfirst reported 28 Sepwording from ABC News (Australia)

What each outlet says

One AI summary per outlet of its latest article on this story, written from that article alone and checked against it. Open the article for the outlet's own words.

Toronto Star28 Sep

A Utah judge ordered Douglas Stewart Carter, 71, to be released on bail after he spent decades on death row for the 1985 murder of Eva Olesen. Prosecutors withdrew their case against Carter following new DNA analysis that excluded him as a suspect in Olesen’s killing. Despite maintaining his innocence and claiming his confession was coerced, Carter will now face a retrial set for 2027 but without the possibility of…

Man ordered released on bail after decades on Utah’s death row after DNA tests show no match to him →
CBS News29 Sep

A Utah judge ordered 71-year-old Douglas Stewart Carter released on bail after DNA evidence excluded him as a suspect in the 1985 murder of Eva Olesen, despite objections from her family and initial convictions based largely on disputed testimony. Judge Derek Pullan set conditions for Carter’s release, including wearing a GPS monitor and avoiding contact with Olesen's relatives, while prosecutors stated they would…

Man who spent decades on death row ordered released on bail after no DNA match →
ABC News (AU)29 Sep

Douglas Stewart Carter will be released on bail after spending decades on Utah’s death row following his 1985 conviction for the murder of Eva Olesen. The decision is based on newly analyzed DNA evidence that excludes him as a possible suspect in the crime. Key to his case were allegations that police coercion led to a false confession and bribed witnesses, with Carter's defense arguing that other suspects…

Utah man released on bail after decades on death row →
New York Post29 Sep

Douglas Stewart Carter, now 71 years old, has been released from death row after DNA evidence excluded him as a suspect in the 1985 killing of Eva Olesen. The Utah judge ordered his release on bail over objections from the victim’s family and despite ongoing legal proceedings for an aggravated murder charge. Prosecutors are reconsidering their case against Carter, who maintained his innocence throughout his…

Utah man, 71, released from death row after DNA evidence excludes him in 1985 killing →
Fox News30 Sep

Douglas Stewart Carter, 71, who spent nearly four decades on Utah's death row for killing Eva Olesen in 1985, was released on bail following new DNA evidence that excluded him as the source of genetic material found at the crime scene. Prosecutors admitted to misconduct during his original trial and a judge ordered a retrial after newly analyzed DNA results were received on September 22. Carter maintains his…

Utah man released after decades on death row as DNA evidence excludes him from 1985 killing →
BBC4 Oct

Douglas Stewart Carter, a man who spent 41 years on death row in Utah after being convicted of killing Eva Olesen, was released on bail following new DNA evidence that did not link him to the crime. Carter, now 71, was initially jailed for stabbing and shooting Olesen at her home in Provo, Utah, in February 1985. Despite maintaining his innocence and claiming a coerced confession, he faced conviction based largely…

Man released on bail after 41 years on death row in US →

Analysis

Agreed

Reported by outlets on both sides of the middle

Believing he was a suspect in an unrelated case, Carter fled Utah but was eventually found in Nashville, Tennessee.

6 outlets
Show 3 more

Carter, a Chicago native, had been living with his mother in Utah at the time of Olesen’s killing on Feb. 27, 1985.

5 outlets

Carter said later that he had given a false confession after being repeatedly threatened by police.

5 outlets

Carter was identified as a suspect soon after, according to court documents.

5 outlets

Disputed

Picked by our model, which is sometimes wrong

No disagreement the check could confirm. That does not prove there is none.

Framing

How the first headlines put it

Stated as fact4

How it changed

  1. 28 Sep

    The prosecutors said results of a DNA analysis received Sept. 22 exclude 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 shot.

    6 outlets · Toronto Star
  2. 29 Sep

    A 71-year-old man who was convicted of killing a police chief’s aunt and spent decades on death row was released Monday after prosecutors said newly analyzed DNA evidence doesn’t link him to the crime.

    3 outlets · New York Post
  3. 30 Sep

    Carter will be placed in an extended stay hotel located near Anger, who was adopted by another family as an infant and did not learn about his father's conviction until years later, according to Carter's attorney, Neal Hamilton.

    4 outlets · Fox News

Coverage 6 articles

  • 4 Oct Man released on bail after 41 years on death row in USDouglas Stewart Carter, a man who spent 41 years on death row in Utah after being convicted of killing Eva Olesen, was released on bail following new DNA evidence that did not link him to the crime. Carter, now 71, was initially jailed for stabbing and shooting Olesen at her home in Provo, Utah, in February 1985. Despite maintaining his innocence and claiming a coerced confession, he faced conviction based largely…BBC
  • 30 Sep Utah man released after decades on death row as DNA evidence excludes him from 1985 killingDouglas Stewart Carter, 71, who spent nearly four decades on Utah's death row for killing Eva Olesen in 1985, was released on bail following new DNA evidence that excluded him as the source of genetic material found at the crime scene. Prosecutors admitted to misconduct during his original trial and a judge ordered a retrial after newly analyzed DNA results were received on September 22. Carter maintains his…Fox News
  • 29 Sep Utah man, 71, released from death row after DNA evidence excludes him in 1985 killingDouglas Stewart Carter, now 71 years old, has been released from death row after DNA evidence excluded him as a suspect in the 1985 killing of Eva Olesen. The Utah judge ordered his release on bail over objections from the victim’s family and despite ongoing legal proceedings for an aggravated murder charge. Prosecutors are reconsidering their case against Carter, who maintained his innocence throughout his…New York Post
  • 29 Sep Utah man released on bail after decades on death rowDouglas Stewart Carter will be released on bail after spending decades on Utah’s death row following his 1985 conviction for the murder of Eva Olesen. The decision is based on newly analyzed DNA evidence that excludes him as a possible suspect in the crime. Key to his case were allegations that police coercion led to a false confession and bribed witnesses, with Carter's defense arguing that other suspects…ABC News (AU)
  • 29 Sep Man who spent decades on death row ordered released on bail after no DNA matchA Utah judge ordered 71-year-old Douglas Stewart Carter released on bail after DNA evidence excluded him as a suspect in the 1985 murder of Eva Olesen, despite objections from her family and initial convictions based largely on disputed testimony. Judge Derek Pullan set conditions for Carter’s release, including wearing a GPS monitor and avoiding contact with Olesen's relatives, while prosecutors stated they would…CBS News
  • 28 Sep Man ordered released on bail after decades on Utah’s death row after DNA tests show no match to himA Utah judge ordered Douglas Stewart Carter, 71, to be released on bail after he spent decades on death row for the 1985 murder of Eva Olesen. Prosecutors withdrew their case against Carter following new DNA analysis that excluded him as a suspect in Olesen’s killing. Despite maintaining his innocence and claiming his confession was coerced, Carter will now face a retrial set for 2027 but without the possibility of…Toronto Star

Built 2026-10-13 from 6 articles. Every sentence on this page is quoted from the linked article; nothing was written by a model except the Summary and the items marked AI, which cite their sources, and the questions and labels under "Disputed". Photos are from the outlets that covered the story, never from articles our check marks sensitive.

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