A Riverside County jury on Tuesday convicted Kenny Shun Yu Wu of two counts of first-degree murder for the 2022 stabbing deaths of his wife and a man she was with in a Palm Desert hotel parking lot, closing a high-profile case that began with early morning 911 calls and ended with a double homicide near Highway 111.
The verdict caps a multi-week trial centered on what prosecutors called a planned attack and what the defense described as an emotional collapse. Jurors heard testimony about marital conflict, stalking allegations and a confrontation in the SpringHill Suites lot that turned lethal within minutes. The victims were identified as Yaying “YaYa” Wu, 31, of Palm Desert, and Jesus Sanchez, 30, of Cathedral City. Wu, 37, faces a potential life sentence at an April 17 hearing in the Larson Justice Center. The case drew regional attention because the killings unfolded in a busy commercial corridor and because deputies found the suspect nearby with self-inflicted wounds after the stabbings.
Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Palm Desert station responded around 6:55 a.m. on July 15, 2022, to reports of an assault with a deadly weapon in the hotel lot in the 72300 block of Highway 111. First responders located a man and a woman suffering from multiple stab wounds; both were pronounced dead within minutes, according to officials. Investigators said Wu confronted the pair as they arrived in separate vehicles and used a knife recovered at the scene. Defense attorney John Dolan told jurors, “The rage just exploded,” arguing Wu was overwhelmed after his wife told him she wanted a divorce. Deputy District Attorney Samantha Paixao told the panel, “We are here for his choices, his decisions,” urging jurors to focus on intent and the sequence of actions before and after the attack.
Detectives canvassed hotel staff and guests, collected surveillance video from the property and nearby businesses, and mapped vehicle movements in and out of the lot. Courtroom summaries described months of turmoil before the killings, including late-night calls among relatives trying to calm disputes. Investigators testified that Wu waited in the lot for his wife and Sanchez to arrive, then confronted them and stabbed both several times. Authorities said shell casings were not a factor because no firearm was used. Wu was found a short distance away with superficial injuries consistent with a staged struggle and was transported for treatment before being booked into jail. Officials said neither victim was armed. Exact timelines for every phone call remain part of the case record, but law enforcement emphasized that the fatal encounter lasted only moments.
Proceedings moved quickly in 2022. Days after the homicides, prosecutors filed two murder counts, and a judge ordered Wu held without bail. Following an October 2022 preliminary hearing, a judge ruled there was sufficient evidence to proceed to trial. At trial this winter, jurors heard testimony from deputies, forensic specialists, and acquaintances of the couple. Prosecutors argued Wu’s decision to go to the SpringHill Suites and wait showed deliberation; they pointed to surveillance imagery and witness accounts describing his approach. The defense did not dispute that Wu caused the deaths but contended that humiliation and despair, not planning, drove his actions. Dolan said his client struggled after learning of the relationship and wanted to reconcile, a position he said was supported by lengthy calls with family members.
The double killing rattled Palm Desert, a resort city about 120 miles east of Los Angeles where homicides are relatively rare and hotels line the main corridor used by commuters and visitors. In July 2022, deputies ringed the lot with yellow tape for hours as guests watched from upper floors. A café manager nearby recalled traffic being diverted around patrol cars as the summer heat built that morning. Memorials for Wu and Sanchez were held in the weeks after the attack. Friends described Sanchez as steady and generous; relatives said YaYa Wu was industrious and close to her family. The case also renewed conversations around how private conflicts can spill into public spaces without warning, though authorities cautioned against drawing broad patterns from a single incident.
With the guilty verdicts, the case shifts to sentencing. Under California law, first-degree murder carries a sentence of 25 years to life per count. A judge can order terms to run consecutively or concurrently. Prosecutors signaled they will seek a punishment reflecting two lives lost and the jury’s finding of intent. The defense is expected to present mitigating information, including Wu’s lack of prior felony convictions and evidence of personal stressors. A pre-sentence report will summarize the defendant’s background and include victim impact statements from relatives of both decedents. Wu remains in custody at a county facility and will be brought to court for the April 17 hearing in Indio. Any notice of appeal would be filed after sentencing and proceed through the state appellate courts.
Outside the courthouse Tuesday, reaction was brief. A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office said the verdict “brings a measure of certainty after years of proceedings,” while declining further comment pending sentencing. Dolan said he respected the jury but maintained his client did not arrive with a plan to kill, signaling that arguments about state of mind will resurface when the court weighs punishment. In Palm Desert, hotel guests who learned what happened in 2022 said the quiet lot off Highway 111 felt different even after the tape came down. “You could tell something awful had happened,” a nearby café manager said, recalling that drivers were rerouted around the cordoned spaces as investigators worked.
As of late Tuesday, Wu was in county custody awaiting the April 17 sentencing at the Larson Justice Center. Court staff said written judgment will be filed after the hearing. Prosecutors plan to release a summary once the sentence is pronounced. No additional hearings are scheduled before that date.
Author note: Last updated February 4, 2026.