Mercury News: Los Gatos man charged with strangling wife, dumping body in Santa Cruz Mountains

LOS GATOS — A man has been jailed and charged with murder after he apparently confessed to strangling his wife with a rope and dumping her body in the Santa Cruz Mountains, according to authorities and court documents.

John Maxey Yeager, 56, has been charged with one count of murder and a count of felony false imprisonment in connection with the death of 40-year-old YingYing “Dawn” Yu, according to police and a criminal complaint filed Tuesday, one day shy of Yeager’s 57th birthday.

Yeager was being held without bail in the Santa Clara County Main Jail, and was arraigned Tuesday afternoon.

During the brief arraignment in a San Jose courtroom, Yeager was appointed legal counsel from the county public defender’s office. Judge Audra Ibarra ordered that Yeager remain in jail without bail at least until his next court hearing, scheduled for March 15.