John Maxey Yeager, a 56-year-old man from Los Gatos, California, has been charged with the murder of his wife, 40-year-old YingYing “Dawn” Yu.
Yu’s employer reported her missing on January 8, 2024, after she failed to make contact since the start of the New Year, prompting an investigation into her murder.
The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department began to dig deeper into the case after Yeager provided inconsistent statements about his wife’s whereabouts. This inconsistency sparked suspicions about Yu’s disappearance and subsequent death.
Police have alleged that a domestic altercation between Yu and Yeager occurred on the night of December 31, 2023, which they believe resulted in Yu’s death.
Yeager was arrested on January 11, 2024, in connection with the alleged domestic violence incident. He is reported to have confessed to the murder during initial investigations.
As the investigation advanced, evidence hinting at foul play in Yu’s disappearance was uncovered.
According to a police statement, investigators learned Yeager traveled to the Santa Cruz Mountains along Summit Road at the beginning of January.
This discovery led the investigation team to the Santa Cruz Mountains on Summit Road, where potential human remains believed to belong to Yu were found. The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner is currently working to positively identify these remains.
In a probable cause affidavit, investigators claim that security footage from a neighbor’s property shows Yu fleeing the house and calling for help. The footage reportedly shows Yeager grabbing her shoulders, with Yu asking her husband if he intended to take her into the house and beat her to death.
Based on evidence from the ongoing investigation, court documents allege that Yeager strangled Yu to death using a rope.
The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department has expressed its appreciation for the community’s support throughout the investigation and has extended its deepest sympathies to those acquainted with Dawn Yu.
Yeager currently remains in custody at the Santa Clara County Jail without bail. He faces charges of first-degree murder and false imprisonment.
The Los Gatos-Monte Police Department is encouraging anyone with relevant information to reach out to them.
