A Utah State Prison inmate will be arraigned on charges he murdered a South Ogden woman whose body has never been found.
Douglas Lovell, 34, is charged with aggravated murder, kidnapping and burglary in the death of Joyce Yost, who disappeared from her apartment seven years ago.Following a preliminary hearing, 2nd Circuit Judge Parley Baldwin ordered Lovell to be arraigned in 2nd District Court on Aug. 10, seven years to the day since Yost disappeared.
Yost was scheduled to testify on Aug. 20, 1985, against Lovell, who she claimed abducted her and then raped her, but the trial was continued after she disappeared.
Lovell was convicted of the rape in December 1985 after the jury heard transcript testimony Yost gave during an earlier hearing. He was sentenced to 15 years to life.
During the preliminary hearing on the murder charge, prosecutors presented circumstantial evidence that Lovell killed Yost to prevent her from testifying at his rape trial.
Lovell's former wife, Rhonda Butters, testified that Lovell denied raping Yost and that he had allegedly tried to hire two men at different times to kill Yost. When those plans fell through, Butters said that Lovell decided to kill Yost himself and asked Butters to drive him to Yost's home.
The witness testified that she then drove home, fell asleep and picked up Lovell after he called her early on Aug. 11. She said Lovell was driving a car that belonged to Yost and she followed him to the mouth of Spring Canyon, where they ditched Yost's car, which was found Aug. 18.
Early in her testimony, Lovell pointed his finger at Butters and shouted, "That's a lie."
Baldwin told Lovell if there were any more outbursts, the defendant would be removed from the courtroom. Lovell replied, "But your honor, she's lying." Baldwin warned Lovell again and the defendant remained quiet during the rest of the hearing.
Butters testified that she and Lovell then drove around the area destroying evidence by burning it. She said Lovell told her that he entered Yost's home through a window, threatened her, cut her finger and then forced her to pack.
Butters said Lovell told her that he told Yost he wasn't going to kill her, just keep her until after his rape trial was over.
Butters said Lovell told her that he drove up Ogden Canyon, strangled Yost and buried her in a shallow grave.
Under cross-examination by defense attorney John Caine, Butters admitted that she has lied to the police before and that she agreed to testify against Lovell after police promised her immunity.
Butters said she didn't contact police or warn the victim because she was afraid of Lovell.