Man accused of killing wife, another man outside of Palm Desert hotel pleads not guilty

A man accused of stabbing his wife and another man in what authorities called a domestic violence confrontation at a Palm Desert hotel parking lot pleaded not guilty today to two counts of murder.

The charges against Kenny Shun Yu Wu, 34, of Palm Desert, include a special circumstance allegation of multiple murders, along with sentencing enhancements for use of a firearm and intentional murder.

Wu was arrested July 17 and booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center after being treated at a hospital for what authorities initially described as critical injuries.

He was being held without bail.   

Deputies from the sheriff's Palm Desert station responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon in the parking lot of the SpringHill Suites hotel in the 72300 block of Highway 111 on the morning of July 15, Riverside County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Ben Ramirez said.

In the parking lot, deputies found a man and a woman, who were pronounced dead at the scene within minutes of the deputies' arrival, Ramirez said. Wu was found alive with blunt force trauma to his body and taken to a hospital.  

The dead woman was identified as Yaying Wu, 31, also of Palm Desert, the suspect's wife. Police said the male victim was Jesus Sanchez, 30, of Cathedral City.

Sheriff's officials declined to provide further details, including the nature of the relationship between the deceased man and woman.   

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information about the case was asked to call the Palm Desert sheriff's station's Investigation Bureau at 760-836-1600 or Investigator Munoz with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955- 2777.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates on this case.