Utah

Douglas Lovell makes third appeal to Utah Supreme Court

Published

2 years ago

February 9, 2024

Douglas Lovell makes third appeal to Utah Supreme Court

SALT LAKE CITY – Douglas A. Lovell has twice been sentenced to die for abducting and murdering a South Ogden woman in August of 1985. On Friday, Lovell’s attorney told the Utah Supreme Court he deserves a third shot at sentencing.

It marked the fourth time over the last nearly 40 years that lawyers have argued in person before Utah’s highest court over issues in the case. The latest trip focused primarily on allegations of discussion of religious matters, such as Lovell’s excommunication from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and “infected” testimony during a 2015 trial.

Origins of the case against Doug Lovell

In April of 1985, Lovell followed a South Ogden woman named Joyce Yost home from a supper club in Clearfield. Lovell sexually assaulted Yost in her own driveway, abducted her, and assaulted her again at his own home. After several hours, Yost convinced Lovell to let her go free, promising not to report what he’d done to the police.

Once safely returned home, Yost called police. A Clearfield police detective arrested Lovell a short time later on suspicion of rape. The Davis County Attorney’s Office then filed felony charges against Lovell.

Yost subsequently testified about the events at a preliminary hearing and the case was set for trial. Through a series of missteps, Lovell was allowed to leave custody in spite of a judge’s order demanding he be jailed pending the trial.

While out of jail, Lovell hired two different men to kill Yost on his behalf, in order to prevent her from testifying at the upcoming trial. Both of those would-be hitmen backed out, so on the night of Aug. 10, 1985, Lovell crept into Yost’s apartment through an unlocked window, slashed her with a knife and then allegedly took Yost into the mountains east of Ogden where he strangled her to death.

Yost’s disappearance caused alarm for her family and police, but it did not derail the criminal trial. A Davis County jury convicted Lovell on counts of aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping, even in Yost’s absence. A judge sentenced Lovell to the Utah State Prison on two terms of five years to life, with a mandatory minimum stay of 15 years.

Capital murder charge for the death of Joyce Yost

The South Ogden Police Department’s investigation into Yost’s disappearance stalled for several years, until Lovell’s ex-wife Rhonda Buttars confessed to a detective in 1991 that she’d helped Lovell destroy evidence after he killed Yost. The Weber County Attorney’s Office offered Buttars immunity from criminal charges if she, in exchange, cooperated as a witness.

Buttars twice carried a hidden audio recorder into the Utah State Prison and captured Lovell making confessions on tape. That evidence allowed the Weber County Attorney’s Office to file a first-degree felony capital murder charge against Lovell in May of 1992.

Lovell’s defense attorney entered into plea negotiations with prosecutors later that year. By the summer of 1993, the two sides reached an agreement: Lovell would plead guilty and lead investigators to Yost’s body, and in exchange, prosecutors would recommend the judge sentence Lovell to life in prison without the chance for parole.

That July, Lovell repeatedly took detectives to a site along the Old Snowbasin Road near Pineview Reservoir and told them that’s where he’d buried Yost’s body. Weeks of searches there failed to turn up any sign of human remains. As a result, the plea agreement was invalidated and the judge sentenced Lovell to death.

Taking back Doug Lovell’s guilty plea

Lovell attempted to withdraw his guilty plea in the aftermath of the death verdict, but the trial court prevented him from doing so.

In his first direct appeal of the sentence, Lovell argued his defense attorney had been ineffective, due in part to a conflict of interest. The Utah Supreme Court ruled against him, affirming the death sentence in 1999.

Lovell then petitioned the high court again over the trial court’s denial of his effort to withdraw the guilty plea, arguing the trial court judge had failed to properly advise him of all the rights he waived by pleading guilty. The Supreme Court sent that matter back to the lower court for further hearings, which again led to a Second District Court judge denying Lovell’s motion to withdraw.

Lovell appealed that decision and in 2011, the Utah Supreme Court agreed the sentencing judge had made a technical error that invalidated Lovell’s death sentence.

The Supreme Court sent Lovell’s case back to Utah’s Second District Court, where it was set for a trial. That trial took place in March of 2015.

Conceding guilt for killing Joyce Yost

Because of the strong evidence against Lovell, including his own prior admissions in court to Yost’s murder, the trial defense team conceded Lovell’s guilt before the jury.

Yost’s murder took place at a time before Utah law allowed for a sentence of life without parole. Because of that, Lovell was allowed to choose whether the jury would have the option of choosing life without parole at sentencing. He chose instead to be sentenced under the law as it existed in 1985, meaning the jurors were only allowed the choice of death or life with the possibility of parole.

Utah law requires juries in capital cases eligible for the death penalty to weigh “aggravating” and “mitigating” factors when deciding for or against death. In Lovell’s 2015 trial, the jury unanimously decided the aggravating factors presented by the prosecution outweighed the mitigation evidence supplied by the defense.

Lovell lost his bid for a chance at parole, receiving a death sentence for the second time.

Doug Lovell’s current appeal

Lovell immediately filed a new appeal, focused on allegations his trial attorneys were ineffective. The appeal raised many specific issues, but chief among them were questions about whether witness testimony during the trial about religious matters might’ve prejudiced the jury.

During the sentencing phase of the 2015 trial, Lovell’s defense attorneys had called multiple former bishops for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who previously ministered to Lovell at the Utah State Prison. Each of those men had intended to speak to their opinions that Lovell was remorseful and deserved a chance for parole.

The testimony during the trial had at times veered into discussion of Latter-day Saint doctrine, Lovell’s excommunication from the church after Yost’s murder, and heavenly forgiveness. In her appeal, Lovell’s appellate attorney, Colleen Coebergh, argued the trial defense team failed to object to improper topics.

“Injecting, in front of a jury, religious topics, is a corrupt practice. It cannot be tolerated,” Coebergh said during oral arguments before the Utah Supreme Court Friday.

Coebergh told the justices such discussion of religious doctrine during the trial improperly signaled to jurors they could make decisions based on factors beyond the factual evidence of the case. Some of the justices also pursued this line of thought when questioning Mark Field, an attorney for the Utah Attorney General’s Office.

“I’m talking about subtle influences,” Associate Chief Justice John Pearce said. “I’m talking about changing the way they view the evidence that Mr. Lovell was trying to put on about being a changed person.”

“Fair enough,” Field replied.

“I think you concede it was improper for the prosecution to inject this into the trial,” Pearce said.

“I do,” Field replied.

However, Field argued that didn’t warrant sending Lovell’s case back for a new trial or sentencing.

“This particular testimony was a small fraction of the evidence that came in,” Field said. “Even assuming that counsel was deficient in not objecting at that point, I don’t think that there’s a reasonable likelihood that there would’ve been a different outcome but for that.”

Justice for Joyce Yost

There is no timeline for when the Supreme Court will issue a decision on Lovell’s latest appeal.

Lovell, 66, remains incarcerated at the Utah State Correctional Facility. Previous reporting by KSL revealed the Utah Department of Corrections has moved him out of maximum security under a program called Last Chance that rewards death row inmates for good behavior.

The murder of Joyce Yost, the search for her remains and the criminal case against Douglas Lovell are covered in detail in the KSL Podcasts series COLD season 2: Justice for Joyce.

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Utah

Niskanen Center, Arnold Ventures Applaud Utah Clearance Rate Legislation – Niskanen Center

Published

5 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Niskanen Center, Arnold Ventures Applaud Utah Clearance Rate Legislation – Niskanen Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2026

Media Contacts:
Louisa Tavlas
ltavlas@niskanencenter.org

Arnold Ventures
media@arnoldventures.org

Olin: Legislators, Cox, “providing law enforcement with additional resources to improve investigative outcomes” and keep Utah safe.

Washington, DC (March 26, 2026) — The Niskanen Center and Arnold Ventures applaud the Utah State Legislature and Governor Spencer Cox for passing new, bipartisan legislation designed to solve more crimes and provide support for crime victims. The bill, H.B. 137, passed both the Utah House of Representatives and the Utah Senate by wide, bipartisan margins and was signed into law by the Governor today.

“Making Utah as safe as possible requires ensuring law enforcement has every available resource to identify and arrest every criminal who preys upon innocent citizens,” said Jason Olin, senior government affairs manager for criminal justice at the Niskanen Center. “HB 137 establishes a Violent Crime Clearance Rate Fund that will provide law enforcement with additional resources to improve investigative outcomes. We thank Rep. Clancy and Sen. McKell for their leadership on this critical issue and Gov. Cox for signing this important piece of legislation.”

“Solving more violent crimes quickly can bring peace to victims and reduce the number of future victims,” said Kevin Ring, vice president of criminal justice advocacy at Arnold Ventures. “Would-be offenders need to know that they will be held accountable, and this law will make it more likely they will. We thank legislative leaders, including Rep. Clancy and Sen. McKell, and Gov. Cox for making sure Utah taxpayers and communities get the biggest public safety bang for their buck.”

H.B. 137, sponsored by Rep. Tyler Clancy (R-60) and Sen. Mike McKell (R-25), creates the Violent Crime Clearance Rate Fund to assist Utah law enforcement agencies in solving violent crimes. The fund will support hiring additional law enforcement officers and providing them with the tools they need to solve crimes. H.B. 137 includes provisions to ensure that resources from the fund reach departments of all sizes across both urban and rural jurisdictions. It will also help researchers conduct rigorous evaluations of the policies and practices that are most effective in solving crimes.

Utah is one of the safest states in the nation. But since 2019, the state’s violent crime clearance rate has hovered around 53%. That means nearly half of all violent crimes reported in Utah result in no arrest and no accountability. Even Utah’s 2024 homicide clearance rate of 74% — well above the national average — leaves more than 1 in 4 murders unsolved. Behind each of those unsolved cases is a victim whose family has been denied justice.

Olin, Ring, and other criminal justice experts are available for interview or comment.

More information on the Niskanen Center’s criminal justice policy work can be found here.

More information on AV’s criminal justice policy work can be found here.

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The Niskanen Center advances an evidence-based agenda to reduce the social costs of crime and punishment. Our priority is to deter crime and reduce violence by building effective systems that deliver proportional punishment swiftly and predictably, and by ensuring law enforcement has the capacity to keep our neighborhoods safe.

Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change and bipartisan policy reforms, AV works to improve the lives of American families, strengthen communities, and promote economic opportunity.

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Utah

Utah Jazz Reacts: Who is the most important core player?

Published

17 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Utah Jazz Reacts: Who is the most important core player?

The Utah Jazz are clearly doing everything they can to keep their pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Something tells me that next season, we won’t see as many players on the injury report as this season. That means that the core of this Jazz team will play, and it’s clear they’re going to play well. The question is, of the current Jazz roster, who is going to be the most important player next season? Now, Utah may win the lottery and that could change this entire question. If Utah drafts someone like Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa, that changes everything. That said, let’s just ignore the lottery and draft for the sake of this question. If we’re looking at the odds, it’s statistically a little more likely Utah doesn’t draft in the top four of the draft anyway.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jazz fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

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Utah

Utah’s wide receiver room poised for big year in new offense

Published

1 day ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Utah’s wide receiver room poised for big year in new offense

It’s been nearly 13 years since a pass-catcher on the Utah football team finished a season with at least 1,000 receiving yards.

Whether that streak reaches 14 remains to be seen, but if it does, it certainly won’t be due to a lack of talent.

“Y’all gonna see a different room. I promise y’all that,” said senior wideout Kyri Shoels after Tuesday’s practice session. “We hungry, and that’s really how it is. We don’t got too much to say.”

Shoels, who joins the Utes following a productive season at San José State, where he finished second on the team in receiving yards behind only the nation’s leader in that category, Danny Scudero, has to wait five more months to let his actions do all the talking on the playing field.

By that point, the buzz around Utah’s new wide receiver corps could be ineffable. At least, it seems to be trending that way through one week of spring practices.

“It’s a lot deeper than what it usually is,” said quarterback Byrd Ficklin of the Utes’ wide receiver room. “There’s ballplayers all over.”

Media sessions after spring practices are often a prime setting for coaches and players to hype up one another while the stakes are still low as far as public perception goes. But based on the production and skillset of some of Utah’s newest pass-catchers, there’s reason to assume the praise they’ve received early on in spring practice is more than just good public relations at work.

Take Braden Pegan, for example. The California native is fresh off serving as the No. 1 option at Utah State, where he recorded 60 receptions for 926 yards and five touchdowns, including three games with 100-plus receiving yards, and boasts the size at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, to compete at the highest level in the Big 12. Also, he reunites with his Aggies offensive coordinator, Kevin McGiven, and the wide receiver coach who previously recruited him in high school, Chad Bumphis.

That all sounds good on paper, but what speaks even louder volumes about Pegan’s impact on the team is the fact he’s already earned a spot on the team’s leadership council, which is voted on by the players.

“That’s one of those dudes that you wish you had 20 of them,” said head coach Morgan Scalley of Pegan. “He’s such a good kid, smart football player, athletic, can jump out of the gym. We’re excited to have him.”

Pegan isn’t the only one helping Utah’s returners understand the ins and outs of the team’s new offense. Shoels, who brings an understanding of McGiven’s pass-friendly system with him from San José State, where McGiven served as the wide receivers coach during Shoels’ first season with the Spartans, aids in that transition process as well.

The 6-foot-tall Las Vegas native also possesses an element of speed that Utah’s wide receiver room was missing last season. Coming off a season in which he recorded 13 yards per reception on 59 catches (768 yards total), Shoels should get a lot of passes thrown his way as the potential No. 2 option behind Pegan.

That said, there’s a group of returners vying for meaningful playing time this season as well. Larry Simmons and Creed Whittemore are two players who ended the 2025 campaign on positive notes; Tobias Merriweather, the 6-foot-5 senior who transferred in from Cal a year ago, has an opportunity to strengthen his rapport with Devon Dampier heading into his second season with the team. Daidren Zipperer could work his way into the rotation as well after missing a majority of last season due to injury.

Time will tell whether Mana Carvalho, Utah’s primary kick returner in 2025, and Ricky Johnson, a sophomore transfer from Mississippi State, play their way onto the field in 2026. It’s worth noting the departures of the team’s top three receivers from last season — Ryan Davis, Dallen Bentley and JJ Buchanan — have opened up more playing opportunities for returners and newcomers alike.

With only so many spots to go around, though, there’s not enough room to cram every pass-catcher Utah has into the main rotation. It’s not the worst problem Bumphis and Scalley could have on their plate, though it does make spring and fall camp essential in determining the pecking order for the regular season.

“Everybody, every practice is ready to go,” Pegan said. “We’re all locked in. It’s exciting. I can’t wait to see what everyone does this year.”

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