A Riverside County jury on Tuesday convicted Kenny Shun Yu Wu of murdering his wife, Yaying “YaYa” Wu, and Jesus Sanchez in a Palm Desert hotel parking lot on July 15, 2022, after a confrontation that followed his wife’s declaration that she wanted a divorce, authorities said.
The verdict brings to a close a high-profile domestic violence case that began with early-morning 911 calls at the SpringHill Suites along Highway 111 and ended with a double homicide and a wounded suspect found nearby. Prosecutors said the 36-year-old defendant waited for the pair to arrive at the hotel before attacking them with a knife. Jurors found Wu guilty of two counts of first-degree murder after a multi-week trial held at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. Wu, who had pleaded not guilty, now faces a potential life sentence. A sentencing hearing is set for April 17.
Jurors heard that deputies with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Palm Desert station responded at about 6:55 a.m. and found a man and woman suffering from multiple stab wounds in the parking lot. Both victims were pronounced dead within minutes. Investigators identified them as YaYa Wu, 31, of Palm Desert, and Sanchez, 30, of Cathedral City. Detectives located the suspect nearby with self-inflicted injuries; he was transported for treatment and later booked into jail. During closing arguments, defense attorney John Dolan told jurors his client “exploded” with anger after learning of plans for a rendezvous and hearing his wife insist on divorce. “The rage just exploded,” Dolan said. Prosecutors argued that jealousy and control drove the attack and that evidence showed deliberation before the killings.
Testimony and records presented at trial traced months of turmoil preceding the stabbings. Prosecutors described stalking, domestic disputes and escalating confrontations between the couple. Investigators detailed phone calls and messages that pointed to marital strain and infidelity. According to courtroom accounts, relatives on both sides tried to intervene, including lengthy late-night calls aimed at de-escalating arguments. On the morning of the attack, evidence showed Wu went to the SpringHill Suites parking lot and waited for the pair. When his wife and Sanchez arrived, he confronted them and stabbed both multiple times. Officials said the knife was recovered, and shell casings were not a factor because no firearm was used. Detectives canvassed the hotel and surrounding businesses for video and witness statements as homicide investigators processed the scene.
The killings occurred at the SpringHill Suites in the 72300 block of Highway 111, a busy commercial corridor lined with hotels, restaurants and retail centers that draw morning traffic from across the Coachella Valley. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department secured the lot with crime-scene tape for hours as guests looked on from upper floors. A coroner’s team removed the bodies late that morning. Court filings said the defendant bore blunt-force injuries consistent with a struggle, though officials did not allege that either victim wielded a weapon. Authorities said the victims were not armed. Investigators interviewed hotel staff and guests and gathered surveillance footage that helped reconstruct the approach, the confrontation and the flight paths after the stabbings.
The case moved swiftly in its early stages. Days after the killings, prosecutors filed two murder counts and Wu was ordered held without bail. A judge ruled after an October 2022 preliminary hearing that sufficient evidence supported the charges, sending the case to trial. During that hearing, a sheriff’s deputy summarized statements from a relative who feared the couple’s conflicts were spiraling and said Wu had voiced threats. At trial, jurors heard from law enforcement witnesses, forensic specialists and people who knew the couple. Prosecutors emphasized that the choice to wait at the hotel and the manner of the attack showed intent. The defense did not dispute that Wu caused the deaths but argued that extreme emotion, humiliation and despair left him overwhelmed and acting without premeditation.
Palm Desert, a resort city roughly 120 miles east of Los Angeles, sees far fewer homicides than larger urban centers, and double killings are rare. The 2022 stabbings drew regional attention because they unfolded in a public space at a branded hotel frequently used by visitors and business travelers. The case renewed local conversations about domestic violence and the speed at which private disputes can erupt in public, though officials cautioned against broad conclusions from one incident. Court records show Wu had no prior felony convictions in Riverside County. The victims were remembered at separate memorials in the weeks after their deaths. Friends described Sanchez as steady and generous; relatives said YaYa Wu was industrious and close to her family.
With the verdict in place, the case now enters the sentencing phase. Under California law, a first-degree murder conviction carries a sentence of 25 years to life per count, with terms that a judge can order to run consecutively or concurrently. Prosecutors signaled they will seek a punishment that accounts for two lives lost and the deliberate nature of the attack. The defense is expected to present mitigating information, including the defendant’s lack of prior felony record and evidence of personal and mental health stressors. A pre-sentence report will compile the defendant’s background and include statements from the victims’ families. The court set April 17 for sentencing at the Larson Justice Center, where the same judge who presided over trial will impose the terms.
Outside the courthouse, reaction was brief and subdued. A representative of the district attorney’s office said the jury’s decision held the defendant accountable and offered a measure of certainty after years of proceedings. Dolan, the defense lawyer, said he respected the verdict but maintained his client did not arrive at the hotel with a plan to kill; he said the evidence would be raised again at sentencing. Hotel guests who learned what had happened said the quiet lot off Highway 111 felt different when they returned to their cars later that day in 2022. A nearby café manager recalled helping direct confused drivers around the police perimeter as the summer heat built. “You could tell something awful had happened,” the manager said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Wu remained in custody awaiting sentencing. Court officials said written judgment and abstract of judgment documents will be filed after the April 17 hearing. Any notice of appeal would follow the sentencing and be handled by the state appellate courts on a separate timetable. For now, the jury’s decision stands: guilty on both counts, with a return to the same courtroom in April for the final step in the trial court.
Author note: Last updated Feb. 4, 2026.