Carter v. State

Justice Himonas, opinion of the Court:

INTRODUCTION

¶1 For over three decades Douglas Carter has been on death row for the brutal murder of Eva Olesen. A jury convicted Carter in 1985 of murdering Ms. Olesen based in no small measure on the testimony of Epifanio and Lucia Tovar. Shortly after the Tovars testified against Carter at the guilt phase of his trial, they vanished. A separate jury sentenced Carter to death based, again, in no small measure on the Tovars' prior trial testimony, which had to be read to the jury in light of the Tovars' absence.

¶2 Through a coincidence, Carter's current…