Judge to Decide Whether 71-Year-Old Douglas Carter Gets Bail After Conviction Overturned
A Utah judge will issue a written ruling on Monday about granting bail to Douglas Carter, whose murder conviction was reversed after DNA evidence excluded him.
Douglas Carter has spent four decades behind bars, including time on death row for the 1985 murder of Eva Olesen in Provo, Utah. After a DNA analysis showed his DNA was not present in the evidence, his 2022 conviction was overturned and the Utah Supreme Court upheld that decision in 2025, sending the case back for a new trial slated to begin in July 2027. Prosecutors, who now refuse to seek the death penalty, have asked the court to consider bail, while the Olesen family and state officials have voiced strong opposition, citing a signed confession and other circumstantial evidence.
Carter’s attorney, Neal Hamilton, proposed GPS monitoring, a protective order, and enrollment in a re-entry program, even offering to pay for the monitor himself. Fourth District Judge Derek Pullan will issue a written ruling on the bail request by the close of Monday.
Why it matters
The decision will determine whether a man long held on death row can be released while awaiting a new trial.
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