Crime scene DNA doesn’t match a former Utah death row inmate. After 41 years, prosecutors drop their pursuit to execute him.

The aggravated murder charge remains pending, but prosecutors support holding a new bail hearing as they reconsider the evidence against Douglas Carter.

(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Douglas Carter appears in 4th District Court in Provo, Friday, April 3, 2026. Carter was sentenced to death for a 1985 murder, which was overturned in 2025.