Utah
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.
For the second time in three seasons, the Utah women’s basketball team is headed to the Mohegan Sun Arena for a high-profile nonconference matchup.
This time, the Utes will face defending national champion UConn in the 12th annual Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase on Nov. 21.
The matchup was announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Tuesday.
For the first time, the Women’s Showcase will feature a four-team, tournament-style format, with Syracuse and Michigan also playing a first-round game on Nov. 21.
Each team will be ensured two games at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, with the championship and third-place games taking place on Nov. 23.
“We are excited to play in this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase,” Utah head coach Gavin Petersen said in a statement.
“It’s always an elite level of competition and a great opportunity to test ourselves early. This year is no exception and will prove to be a great event showcasing women’s basketball.”
This will be the first meeting ever between Utah and UConn. The Huskies beat South Carolina 82-59 in this past year’s national championship game to earn UConn’s 12th national title in the sport.
“The return of the 2025 NCAA women’s champions, UConn, highlights what promises to be the most exciting Women’s Showcase yet,” John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, said in a statement.
“With four outstanding programs competing in a tournament-style format for the first time, this event continues to elevate the platform for women’s college basketball and celebrate the exceptional talent of today’s student-athletes.”
The Utes have a 1-1 overall record against Michigan and have never faced Syracuse.
Two years ago, Utah took on South Carolina in the showcase. In that game, the Utes held tough against that year’s eventual national champions — behind 37 points from Alissa Pili — before the Gamecocks pulled away to win by nine.
With the draft lottery done, we have a template of the selection order ready for the 2025 NHL Draft. Unless Radim Mrtka breaks things up in the top 5-7, we expect a run on forwards early in the draft, especially with so many good centers available. The order in which these forwards go is the most interesting thing about this draft and will be debated by teams and fans in the coming weeks. This mock is my best attempt to project how I think the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft will transpire on June 27.
1. New York Islanders: Matthew Schaefer, LHD, Erie (OHL)
Schaefer gives the Islanders a true No. 1 defenseman prospect to build around. His high-end mobility, intelligence and competitiveness project him as a cornerstone on the blue line for years to come and he is highly likely to be the pick despite the limited number of games he played this season.
2. San Jose Sharks: Michael Misa, C, Saginaw (OHL)
Misa’s elite speed and creativity give San Jose a franchise-caliber center. The addition of Misa gives the Sharks flexibility to move either him or Will Smith to the wing long term. He can break games open with his skill and vision and will be a foundational offensive piece for a rebuilding Sharks squad.
3. Chicago Blackhawks: Anton Frondell, C, Djurgården (Allsvenskan)
Frondell brings high-end skill and a complete 200-foot game and fills Chicago’s need for a strong two-way pivot to pair with Connor Bedard, who may end up as a long-term winger in the NHL.
4. Utah Mammoth: Porter Martone, RW, Brampton (OHL)
Utah prioritizes being hard to play against, and Martone will provide a lot of size and a high compete level while also being very skilled for a big man. It’s easy to envision him next to Logan Cooley on a top line for the next 10 years.
5. Nashville Predators: James Hagens, C, Boston College (Hockey East)
Nashville adds high-end skill and speed down the middle with Hagens, even if his game needs more inside presence. He brings the potential to be a major point producer and address a critical need for the Predators at center, even if not every NHL scout is convinced he’s an NHL center.
6. Philadelphia Flyers: Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton (QMJHL)
Desnoyers’ stock continues to rise with his great playoff run for Moncton. He’s a complete center with the size, skating, skill and off-puck play to be a big-minute NHL center, which is something Philly truly craves.
7. Boston Bruins: Jake O’Brien, C, Brantford (OHL)
O’Brien is a cerebral, playmaking center with top-line upside. His skill and vision are clear NHL traits and address Boston’s massive need for a center who can drive play and create offense.
8. Seattle Kraken: Brady Martin, C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
Martin brings an intense, physical two-way game that complements all the skill Seattle has drafted in recent years while also bringing plenty of puck play himself and the ability to be a top-six forward, be it at center or wing.
9. Buffalo Sabres: Radim Mrtka, RHD, Seattle (WHL)
Mrtka is a 6-foot-5 defenseman who skates well and has offensive flashes, giving Buffalo a rare right-shot blueliner with top-four upside. He compares to a Sabres pick from a long time ago in Tyler Myers.
10. Anaheim Ducks: Roger McQueen, C, Brandon (WHL)
A 6-foot-5 center with speed, hands and bite, McQueen gives Anaheim a potential massive talent down the middle. He would have gone top five if it weren’t for a concerning back injury. With superb young talent in the organization, Anaheim can afford the gamble on McQueen.
11. Pittsburgh Penguins: Kashawn Aitcheson, LHD, Barrie (OHL)
Aitcheson adds significant physicality to Pittsburgh’s system while also having the size, mobility and skill of a top-four NHL defenseman.
12. New York Rangers: Braeden Cootes, C, Seattle (WHL)
Cootes brings speed, compete and two-way versatility to the Rangers’ forward group, giving them a hardworking center with offensive potential and addressing an important need at center.
13. Detroit Red Wings: Victor Eklund, RW, Djurgården (Allsvenskan)
Eklund’s speed, high motor and ability to create offense gives Detroit an important addition of offensive talent to its system while continuing with a trend of prioritizing compete in its picks.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Cameron Reid, LHD, Kitchener (OHL)
Reid is a dynamic skater who closes well defensively and can generate clean exits and secondary offense. I could see him or Jackson Smith as the Jackets’ pick here as they try to add young depth to their blue line.
15. Vancouver Canucks: Cole Reschny, C, Victoria (WHL)
Reschny is a very skilled and intelligent player who plays hard and was as good as any junior player in the second half of the CHL season. He theoretically gives Vancouver a much-needed young center of the future, although not everyone in the league is convinced he’s a pro center.
16. Montreal Canadiens: Carter Bear, LW, Everett (WHL)
A competitive and highly skilled winger who plays a physical game, Bear could provide a lot of elements to Montreal’s top six.
17. Montreal Canadiens: Jackson Smith, LHD, Tri-City (WHL)
Smith brings size, skating and offensive tools to the Canadiens blue-line pipeline as they continue to build a very strong group of young defensemen.
18. Calgary Flames: Justin Carbonneau, RW, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
A fast, strong winger with a dangerous shot, Carbonneau adds a scoring element and high-energy game to Calgary’s top six, even if he’s slightly redundant with someone like Matt Coronato.
19. St. Louis Blues: Lynden Lakovic, LW, Moose Jaw (WHL)
Lakovic is a big man with legit speed, skill and goal-scoring ability. He would be a highly talented forward addition to the Blues’ system, even if his compete level still draws some debate.
20. Columbus Blue Jackets: Joshua Ravensbergen, G, Prince George (WHL)
Ravensbergen is a big, athletic goaltender with starter upside — the type of swing Columbus can afford to take on a second first-rounder.
21. Ottawa Senators: Blake Fiddler, RHD, Edmonton (WHL)
Fiddler’s size, defensive ability, skating and hardness make him exactly the type of defenseman Ottawa has coveted. Ideally, the Senators would add some skill to their forward group, but a run on forwards before their pick left them without any of the top-tier forward prospects.
22. Calgary Flames: Milton Gastrin, C, MoDo (Sweden Jr.)
A responsible, hard-nosed, two-way center, Gastrin adds leadership traits and versatility to the forward group.
23. Carolina Hurricanes: Logan Hensler, RHD, Wisconsin (Big Ten)
Hensler fits the type of defenseman Carolina has liked to target: He’s mobile, has skill and can make a reliable pass.
24. Philadelphia Flyers: Daniil Prokhorov, LW, Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)
Prokhorov’s size and physicality fit the typical Flyers draft pick, and he has enough touch and speed to complement their skilled forwards.
25. Philadelphia Flyers: Sascha Boumedienne, LHD, Boston University (Hockey East)
One of the better-skating defensemen in the class, Boumedienne provides transition ability with the potential for some offense at the NHL level as well.
26. Nashville Predators: Jack Nesbitt, C, Windsor (OHL)
Nesbitt is a heavy center with strong puck skills and playmaking vision. Despite questions about his skating, his offense and physicality make him a legit first-round pick as Nashville builds out its center depth in this draft.
27. Los Angeles Kings: Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, LW, Luleå (Sweden Jr.)
The Kings take a swing on a tall winger with NHL-caliber feet, hands and scoring ability, hoping he becomes a future middle-six scorer.
28. San Jose Sharks: Henry Brzustewicz, RHD, London (OHL)
Brzustewicz is a smart, mobile right-shot who adds a steady two-way game to a Sharks system that needs quality blueliners.
29. Chicago Blackhawks: Malcolm Spence, LW, Erie (OHL)
Spence brings high effort, responsible two-way play and a solid track record for Canada. He’s not the flashiest forward but he has legit enough talent to play in a middle six.
30. Nashville Predators: William Horcoff, C, Michigan (Big Ten)
A big, skilled forward with great hands, Horcoff needs to work on his skating but has the potential to be a legit scorer as a pro and looked quite good at the college level as a 17-year-old.
31. Washington Capitals: Cullen Potter, C, Arizona State (NCHC)
Potter’s great skating and puck skill give Washington a dynamic, high-upside forward, but his size and perimeter play does worry teams too.
32. Winnipeg Jets: Bill Zonnon, LW, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
Zonnon is a big winger who skates and shoots well enough to be a middle-six contributor in Winnipeg’s forward pipeline.
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photos of Porter Martone, Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa: Michael Miller / ISI Photos / Getty Images)
With the college basketball portal closed as of April 22, players across the country continue to announce their future destinations.
Utah State, one of the nation’s top programs over the past seasons, received big news when head coach Jerrod Calhoun signed a contract extension to remain with the school. After winning 20 or more games in six of the past seven seasons, Utah State had become a launching pad for coaches with the Aggies having had four different coaches over a five-year span. Calhoun went 26-8 this past season in year one and appears to be in Logan, Utah for the long haul.
Despite Calhoun remaining in place that doesn’t mean that players won’t continue to come and go as has become the norm in the years of the college basketball transfer portal. Of this past season’s top four scorers, only one will be back with Utah State next season. Guards Ian Martinez and Dexter Akanno have exhausted their collegiate eligibility while guard Deyton Albury has transferred to New Mexico for his final season.
Rising juniors Mason Falslev and Karson Templin have both announced their returns to Utah State while the program added Zach Keller (Utah), MJ Colins (Vanderbilt) and Kolby King (Butler). Among those on the move from Utah State is guard Braden Housley.
A native of Lehi, Utah, Housley played high school basketball at Skyridge. He averaged 16 points, seven assists and three steals per game as a senior while leading the Falcons to an 18-7 record. He joined Southern Utah in 2022-23 and redshirted during his freshman season. In year two, Housley started 31 games while playing 35 minutes per game for the Thunderbirds. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard then transferred to Utah State this past season and played in three games before an injury ended his season early.
Utah Valley inks Utah State transfer Braden Housley.
Former WAC All-Freshman guard is headed to the Valley. ✍️🏀#GoUVU | #ValleyForged | #UVUhoopshttps://t.co/wxOpQZ4Zvc— UVU Men’s Basketball (@UVUmbb) May 9, 2025
Now on the move once again, Housley will remain in-state, joining Utah Valley for his third school in three seasons. A member of the All-WAC freshman team two seasons ago, Housley will be back in that conference next season. Facing off against Utah Valley as a member of Southern Utah, Housley played 79 of a possible 80 minutes over the two games, dishing out 12 assists. His best career game came in a two-point loss at Utah. Housley had 23 points and five assists, knocking down eight of his 14 shot attempts.
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