Transcripts of taped conversations between accused killer Doug Lovell and his ex-wife, Rhonda Buttars, reveal he talked about kidnapping, slaying and hiding the body of Joyce Yost.
Lovell is charged with capital homicide in Yost's death, even though the woman's body has never been recovered. Yost disappeared Aug. 10, 1985, just before she was to testify on charges that Lovell raped her.Excerpts of conversations between Lovell and his ex-wife are contained in court documents filed by attorneys arguing the admissibility of those statements. A Feb. 2 trial date has been postponed pending a defense appeal of 2nd District Judge Stanton Taylor's ruling that the statements could be used.
The excerpts include Lovell talking about not wanting to tell investigators where he hid the body fearing "they'll come after me," and saying that he prays for Yost to forgive him "for taking her life at 39 years."
In another portion, he admits he "planned to end Joyce's life."
Defense lawyer John Caine on Friday asked the Utah Supreme Court to consider the case.
Lovell, 35, could face the death penalty if convicted. He is currently serving a 15-years-to-life term for raping Yost. He was convicted based on testimony Yost gave at a preliminary hearing before she disappeared.
Corrections officials taped conversations between Lovell and Buttars, on June 16, 1991, and Jan. 18, 1992.
Buttars, who has been granted immunity, testified at a June preliminary hearing that she helped plan and carry out the slaying. She told a judge she dropped Lovell off at Yost's home the night the woman disappeared and picked him up the next morning. She said he boasted of killing her.
Taped statements attributed to Lovell include:
"I committed a first-degree felony to cover another felony. It's the death penalty. At the very least they're going to give me life without parole. If I cooperate with them, and go with them."
"I premeditated . . . premeditated. I planned to kill Joyce. I planned to end Joyce's life, that's premeditated capital homicide."
Lovell said, "I did it, I mean it's still in my memory, I pray for her all the time, I don't know what to say, but I do. I mean at the end of my prayers. In each and every prayer I ask Joyce if she can forgive me, you know for denying her the opportunity of being down here with her kids, her family and friends and for taking her life at 39 years."