Husband hides 40-year-old wife’s body in mountains after slaying, California cops say

A woman reported missing after not contacting her employer after New Year’s Day has been found dead, California police reported.

The body of YingYing “Dawn” Yu, 40, of Los Gatos was found Jan. 13 in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Los Gatos-Monte Sereno police said in a news release.

Her husband, John Maxey Yeager, 56, is accused of killing Yu and hiding her body in the mountains, police said. He faces a charge of murder.

Police began investigating Yu’s disappearance Jan. 8 and found Yeager’s information on her “inconsistent” with other evidence, the department said.

Investigators found evidence of a Dec. 31 domestic violence incident involving Yu and arrested Yeager Jan. 10.

Further investigation led officers to a body believed to be Yu’s in a remote area of the Santa Cruz Mountains where Yeager had earlier traveled, police said. A formal identification of the remains is pending.

Police ask anyone with information to call detective Mike Birley at 408-827-3219 or police@losgatosca.gov.

Los Gatos is about 55 miles southeast of San Francisco.

This story was originally published January 17, 2024 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Husband hides 40-year-old wife’s body in mountains after slaying, California cops say."