The Disappearance
It’s 5:00 PM on January 7, 2021. Maya “May” Millete pulls into the driveway of her Chula Vista, California home.
Surveillance cameras capture her arrival. She steps out of her car. Walks toward the front door. Opens it. Steps inside.
It’s the last time anyone will ever see her.
Maya is 39 years old. A mother of three children—ages 11, 10, and 4. A contract specialist who works for the U.S. Navy. A Filipino American woman who immigrated to the United States with dreams of building a better life.
Inside the house, her husband Larry Millete is waiting. They’ve been married for 21 years. But the marriage is falling apart.
What Maya doesn’t know is that for months, Larry has been reaching out to spellcasters online. He’s been asking them to cast hexes on his wife. To “punish” her. To “incapacitate” her. To make her stop wanting to leave him.
What Maya doesn’t know is that at 8:30 PM tonight—just three and a half hours from now—eight loud bangs will echo through the neighborhood.
What Maya doesn’t know is that by tomorrow morning, she will have vanished without a trace. No purse. No phone. No car. No goodbye to her children.
And five years later, no one will know where she is.
The Woman Who Wanted Out
Maya Millete was born May 1, 1981, in the Philippines. She came to the United States pursuing the American dream—education, career, family, stability.
By her late 30s, she had achieved much of it. She worked as a contract specialist for the U.S. Navy, a stable government job with good benefits. She had three children she adored. She owned a home in Chula Vista, a city just south of San Diego.
But her marriage to Larry Millete had become suffocating.
Friends and family would later testify that Larry was controlling. Jealous. Possessive. He checked Maya’s emails. Read her messages. Monitored her social media. Tracked her location.
Maya confided in her sister-in-law: “He never lets me be myself. He checks my emails, messages, messenger posts. He’s tightening the reins even more”.
In late 2020, Maya made a decision. She was going to leave Larry. She was going to file for divorce.
She started researching divorce attorneys. She confided in family members. She made plans to take the children and start a new life.
But Larry wasn’t going to let that happen.
The Spellcasters
In the months before Maya disappeared, Larry Millete did something that would later shock investigators and become key evidence in the case against him.
He reached out to spellcasters online.
Not once. Not twice. Multiple times.
Larry contacted people who advertised themselves as witches, spiritual advisors, spell-casters who claimed they could use magic to control other people. He paid them anywhere from $30 to $300 per spell.
And he asked them to cast hexes on his wife.
The messages Larry sent were chilling:
“Please punish May and incapacitate her.”
He wanted the spellcasters to make Maya sick. To make her unable to leave him. To trap her in the marriage.
He asked for spells to:
Make Maya love him again
Prevent her from wanting divorce
Keep her from being interested in other men
Make her obedient and compliant
One spellcaster later told authorities that Larry’s requests became increasingly desperate and dark as 2020 turned into 2021.
He wasn’t just asking for love spells anymore. He was asking for harm.
“Punish her.”
“Incapacitate her.”
“Make her unable to leave.”
Investigators would later discover these messages on Larry’s phone and computer. They would become some of the most damning evidence against him.
But here’s what’s even more disturbing: After Maya disappeared on January 7, 2021, Larry stopped contacting the spellcasters.
He didn’t need them anymore.
The Marriage Unravels
By late 2020, Maya and Larry were barely speaking except to argue.
Larry knew Maya was planning to leave. He could sense it. He’d seen the searches on her computer. He’d noticed her pulling away emotionally.
And he panicked.
Larry reached out to Maya’s family members—her siblings, her relatives—and asked them to convince Maya to stay. He begged them to talk to her. To remind her of their vows. To tell her that divorce would hurt the children.
Maya’s family testified later that Larry’s behavior became increasingly erratic. He was desperate. Controlling. Obsessive.
On at least one previous occasion when Maya had briefly left the house and Larry couldn’t reach her, he planted a cell phone in her vehicle to track her location.
This wasn’t just a husband worried about his wife’s safety. This was surveillance.
Maya told her sister-in-law that she felt trapped. That Larry wouldn’t let her breathe. That every time she tried to assert independence, he tightened his grip.
But she was determined. She was going to leave. She was going to take the kids. She was going to start over.
Larry knew this. And he knew he was running out of time.
January 7, 2021, was the day he ran out.
January 7, 2021: The Last Day
It’s a Thursday. A normal workday. Maya goes about her routine.
At some point during the day, there are reports—never fully confirmed—that Maya met with a divorce attorney. That she was taking concrete steps toward ending her marriage. That papers were being prepared.
Larry knows. Or suspects. Or fears.
That evening, Maya arrives home at 5:00 PM. Surveillance footage captures her pulling into the driveway, exiting her car, entering the house.
Inside, Larry is there. The three children are there. It’s a normal evening. Dinner. Homework. The rhythms of family life.
But beneath the surface, something is very wrong.
At some point that evening, Larry and Maya have an argument. A big one.
Larry will later admit to Maya’s brother that he and Maya “got into a big argument” the night of January 7. He says it was about Maya’s alleged affair. He says he threatened to call the other man’s wife.
But here’s what Larry doesn’t tell anyone: what happened after the argument.
8:30 PM: Eight Loud Bangs
At approximately 8:30 PM on January 7, a neighbor’s security camera picks up audio.
Eight loud bangs.
Sharp. Distinct. Echoing through the residential neighborhood.
The sounds are consistent with gunshots.
The camera also captures corresponding video footage—but that footage has never been released to the public due to privacy concerns from the neighbor who provided it.
Investigators have seen the video. They know what it shows. But they’re not telling.
Eight loud bangs at 8:30 PM.
And Maya Millete is never seen again.
10:00 PM: The Cold Night
Around 10:00 PM—an hour and a half after the eight loud bangs—another neighbor’s camera captures audio.
The Millete children are playing outside in the backyard.
It’s January. In Southern California, January evenings are cold. Not freezing, but cold enough that you wouldn’t expect young children to be playing outside at 10 PM on a school night.
But there they are. The neighbor’s camera picks up the sounds of children’s voices. Playing. Running around.
Why are they outside so late? Why on a cold night? What’s happening inside the house that the children have been sent outside?
These are questions investigators will ask later. Questions that will never be fully answered.
January 8: The Family Grows Worried
The next morning—Friday, January 8—Maya’s family tries to reach her.
She’s not answering her phone. She’s not responding to texts. This is unusual. Maya is reliable. She always responds, especially when it comes to her children.
Maya’s relatives decide to drive to the house to check on her.
When they arrive, Larry answers the door. He tells them Maya is in a room by herself. That she’s been locked in there since the night before. That she doesn’t want to come out.
The family is confused. This doesn’t sound like Maya. But Larry seems calm. He assures them everything is fine. Maya just needs space.
The family leaves, uneasy but not yet panicked.
January 9: The Door Opens to an Empty Room
On Saturday morning, January 9, Maya’s family returns to the house.
They’re more worried now. It’s been two full days since anyone has heard from Maya. This isn’t like her.
They knock on the door. Larry answers again. They insist—demand—that Larry open the door to the room where he claims Maya has been staying.
Larry hesitates. Then he opens it.
The room is empty.
No Maya. No sign of her. No indication she was ever locked in there.
The family demands answers. Where is Maya? Where did she go?
Larry tells them different stories:
He says Maya went for a walk and never came back.
He says she might have gone to visit friends.
He says she mentioned wanting to get away for a while.
He says he took their son to Solana Beach on January 7 and when he came back, Maya was gone.
Wait. Which is it? Was she locked in a room? Or did she leave during the day on January 7?
Larry’s stories don’t match. And the family knows something is very, very wrong.
At that moment, Maya’s sister Maricris Drouaillet makes a decision. She calls the Chula Vista Police Department and files a missing person report.
Maya “May” Millete is officially missing.
Larry’s Suspicious Behavior
As soon as the missing person report is filed, Larry’s behavior becomes even stranger.
On January 9—the same day Maya’s sister files the report—Larry talks to a neighbor.
He tells the neighbor that on January 7, he took the family’s Lexus to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park with one of the children.
Wait. Earlier he said he went to Solana Beach. Now he’s saying he went to Anza-Borrego Desert—a vast, remote desert area two hours east of Chula Vista.
Why would Larry drive two hours into the desert on a Thursday?
And here’s what makes it even more suspicious: Larry asks the neighbor to detail the vehicle. To clean it. To wash it thoroughly.
The Chula Vista Police Department will later impound the Lexus. Whatever evidence might have been inside may have been compromised by Larry’s request to have it detailed.
The Search Begins
On January 13, 2021—six days after Maya vanished—Larry speaks to local media.
“I love you honey, just come back home,” he says during a phone interview. “I’m still very hopeful that with all this media coverage, she’ll turn up and say, ‘Hey, I’m OK’”.
He sounds concerned. Loving. Hopeful.
But Maya’s family isn’t buying it.
That same day, friends, family, and neighbors organize a search at Mount San Miguel Park, a hiking area near the Millete home.
They hand out flyers. They call Maya’s name. They search trails and ravines.
Larry doesn’t participate.
While dozens of people are out searching for his wife, Larry stays home.
Maya’s family will later testify that this was completely out of character. In the past, when Maya couldn’t be located—even briefly—Larry would panic. He would frantically call everyone. He would search everywhere.
But now, with Maya officially missing for nearly a week, Larry doesn’t join the searches. He doesn’t hand out flyers. He doesn’t make public pleas beyond that one media interview.
It’s as if he already knows she won’t be found.
January 23: The First Search Warrant
On January 23, 2021, Chula Vista Police execute their first search warrant at the Millete home.
They’re looking for clues. Evidence. Anything that might explain where Maya went or what happened to her.
They search the house top to bottom. They examine the vehicles. They seize items, including some of Larry’s firearms.
What they find will shock them.
Larry Millete owns an arsenal.
Not just a few guns for protection. An arsenal.
And some of the weapons are illegal.
The Gun Cache
Investigators discover photographs on Larry’s phone that will later be introduced as evidence.
One photo shows the Millete kitchen table. On the table: 16 firearms.
Not in a safe. Not locked away. On the kitchen table.
The cache includes:
Two short-barreled AR-15 illegal assault weapon platforms
Five AR-15 platform rifles (legality undetermined)
Three pump shotguns
One bolt action rifle with scope
Five semi-automatic handguns
Four U.S. passports
A government identification card
Several high-capacity magazines
Hundreds of rounds of ammunition
This isn’t a gun owner who keeps a pistol for home defense. This is someone preparing for war.
But the most disturbing photo is the second one.
It shows Larry’s 4-year-old son standing on the table, surrounded by the firearms and ammunition.
The child has immediate access to illegal assault weapons and loaded guns.
Police note in their report: “The child had immediate access to the illegal assault weapons and the fourteen other firearms and ammunition creating a potential extreme danger to the child and those physically present at the home”.
Why does Larry have this many guns? Why are they displayed on a table with passports? Why is his young son photographed with them?
The passports are particularly concerning. Is Larry planning to flee the country with the children?
The Gun Violence Restraining Order
On May 7, 2021—four months after Maya disappeared—authorities serve Larry Millete with a gun violence restraining order.
The order requires him to surrender additional firearms to police.
But here’s the disturbing part: After the January search warrant, Larry went out and bought two more guns in February and March 2021.
His wife is missing. Police are investigating. And Larry is stockpiling weapons.
The restraining order specifically cites concerns that Larry “may flee the state or country with his three young minor children or Respondent will likely shoot it out with police due to photographs showing several unregistered and/or illegal assault rifles with numerous ammunitions on a table in Respondent’s house”.
Police believe Larry is a flight risk. Or worse—that he might engage in an armed standoff with law enforcement.
The Family’s Anguish
While investigators gather evidence, Maya’s family is falling apart.
Her sister Maricris holds press conferences, begging for help.
“Please bring her home,” Maricris cries. “If you have any information, please help us find my sister”.
Maya’s three children don’t understand where their mother is. The youngest—just 4 years old—keeps asking when Mommy is coming home.
But the family is also angry. Angry at Larry. Angry at his refusal to help search. Angry at his suspicious behavior. Angry at his lies.
They hire a private investigator. They organize weekend searches. They distribute thousands of flyers.
But as the weeks turn to months, hope begins to fade.
Where is Maya Millete?
The Evidence Mounts
The Gun Searches
As investigators dig deeper into Larry’s digital footprint, they discover searches on his phone and computer that turn their blood cold.
On January 5, 2021—two days before Maya disappeared—Larry searched online for: “Materials needed to build a gun suppressor”.
A suppressor. A silencer.
Why would Larry need to build a device to muffle the sound of gunfire two days before his wife vanished?
Investigators also find searches for gun parts. Ammunition. How to build untraceable weapons.
And then there are the poison searches.
Larry researched “poison hemlock plants”. Hemlock—the same poison that killed Socrates. A plant that causes respiratory failure and death when ingested.
Why is a husband whose wife is about to divorce him researching poisons and gun silencers?
The answer seems obvious.
March 2021: The Phone Records
In March 2021, investigators obtain Larry’s phone records and analyze them in detail.
What they find is a timeline of obsession and preparation.
Throughout late 2020 and into early January 2021, Larry made hundreds of calls and sent countless messages:
To spellcasters: Asking them to hex Maya, to incapacitate her, to keep her from leaving
To Maya’s family: Begging them to convince Maya not to divorce him
To gun retailers: Inquiring about parts and ammunition
To online forums: Researching how to hide a body, how to avoid detection, how to clean a crime scene (alleged – not fully confirmed in public documents)
And then, after January 7, 2021, Larry’s phone activity changes dramatically.
He stops contacting the spellcasters. He stops begging Maya’s family to intervene. He stops researching divorce or how to save his marriage.
It’s as if the problem has been solved.
April 2021: The Gunshot Residue
On April 1, 2021, investigators conduct another search of the Millete home.
This time, they bring forensic technicians. They’re looking for trace evidence. Blood. DNA. Anything that might prove violence occurred in the house.
They test surfaces throughout the home. Walls. Floors. Furniture.
And they find something: gunshot residue.
Not just in one location. In multiple locations throughout the house.
Gunshot residue—microscopic particles released when a firearm is discharged—is present in areas where you wouldn’t expect it from routine cleaning or handling of guns.
Combined with the eight loud bangs recorded on the neighbor’s camera at 8:30 PM on January 7, the gunshot residue tells a chilling story.
Shots were fired inside the Millete home the night Maya disappeared.
May 7, 2021: The Little Boy’s Statement
On May 7, 2021, investigators interview Maya and Larry’s 10-year-old son.
What the child tells them is heartbreaking.
The boy says that on the night of January 7, his parents had a “loud argument”. He heard yelling. He heard his mother’s voice. Then he heard sounds he couldn’t identify—loud bangs.
After that, he never saw his mother again.
The child asks investigators: “Is my mom dead?”
The investigators can’t answer. They don’t know. But everything they’re uncovering suggests the worst.
The 10-year-old also tells them something else—something that will become crucial evidence.
He says his father told him that Mom “went away for a while” but that she would come back.
But she never did.
Summer 2021: The Searches Continue
Throughout the summer of 2021, Maya’s family refuses to give up.
They organize searches in the desert. In the mountains. Along hiking trails. In areas where Larry was known to go.
Volunteers from across San Diego County join them. They search Anza-Borrego Desert State Park—the remote area where Larry claimed he took the family car on January 7.
They search ravines, canyons, brush. They use drones. They use search dogs.
But they find nothing.
Maya Millete has vanished completely.
Her car is still parked at the house. Her purse is still inside. Her phone—the one Larry claims she took with her—pings its last location at the family home on January 7.
She didn’t leave voluntarily. She didn’t run away. She didn’t start a new life somewhere else.
Someone took her. Someone hid her. Someone made sure she would never be found.
And investigators believe that someone is Larry Millete.
September 2021: The Snapchat Messages
In September 2021—eight months after Maya disappeared—prosecutors reveal another piece of evidence that will prove crucial.
In the days before Maya vanished, she sent messages to friends and family members via Snapchat.
The messages described her plans to divorce Larry. They expressed fear. They said Larry had been monitoring her communications, reading her emails, tracking her movements.
Maya told her sister-in-law: “If something happens to me, it was Larry”.
She wrote to a friend: “I’m scared of what he might do”.
These messages—preserved because recipients screenshotted them before they disappeared—paint a picture of a woman who knew she was in danger.
A woman who saw the warning signs.
A woman who tried to protect herself but ran out of time.
October 19, 2021: The Arrest
On October 19, 2021—nine months and twelve days after Maya disappeared—Larry Millete is arrested.
A SWAT team surrounds the Chula Vista home at dawn. Officers in tactical gear approach the door. They announce their presence. They command Larry to come out.
He surrenders without incident.
Larry Millete is charged with:
Murder (one count)
Illegal possession of an assault weapon (three counts)
Prosecutors don’t have Maya’s body. They don’t have direct witnesses to her death. But they believe they have enough circumstantial evidence to convict him.
“We have a compelling case,” San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announces at a press conference. “We believe we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Larry Millete murdered his wife”.
Larry is booked into San Diego County Jail. His bail is set at $2 million.
He pleads not guilty to all charges.
The Preliminary Hearing
In January 2023—more than two years after Maya vanished—Larry’s preliminary hearing begins.
Over the course of several weeks, prosecutors present their evidence to a judge. The judge will decide if there’s enough evidence to proceed to trial.
Witnesses testify:
Maya’s sister Maricris takes the stand. She cries as she describes the last time she spoke to Maya. She describes Maya’s fears about Larry. She describes how Larry’s behavior after Maya disappeared was suspicious and cold.
Maya’s brother-in-law testifies about the conversations he had with Larry in the days after Maya vanished. About Larry’s contradictory stories. About Larry’s refusal to help search.
Chula Vista police detectives testify about the evidence they found. The spellcaster messages. The gun searches. The gunshot residue. The eight loud bangs on the neighbor’s camera. The cell phone data.
Digital forensic experts testify about Larry’s online activity. The searches for gun suppressors. The poison hemlock research. The abrupt cessation of contact with spellcasters after January 7.
Firearms experts testify about the illegal weapons found in Larry’s home. The arsenal on the kitchen table. The guns he purchased after Maya disappeared.
The defense argues that the evidence is circumstantial. That there’s no body. That Maya could have left voluntarily. That Larry’s guns were legal (some of them). That the spellcaster messages prove desperation, not murder.
But on January 25, 2023, Judge Dwayne Moring makes his ruling.
“There is sufficient evidence to believe that the defendant committed the crime of murder,” Judge Moring says. “The defendant will be held to answer”.
Larry Millete will stand trial for murder.
The Trial Delays
The trial is initially scheduled for September 2023.
But in the months leading up to the trial date, Larry’s defense attorneys file motions. They request delays. They argue they need more time to prepare. They say the case is complex. They say they need additional expert witnesses.
The trial is postponed to early 2024.
Then it’s postponed again.
And again.
Each delay devastates Maya’s family. They want justice. They want closure. They want Larry to answer for what he did.
But the legal system moves slowly.
In September 2025, the trial is delayed yet again—this time to March 9, 2026.
Defense attorney Bonita Martinez cites concerns about pretrial publicity. She argues that media coverage of the case has been so extensive that finding an impartial jury will be difficult.
The judge agrees to the delay but sets firm boundaries: The trial will begin March 9, 2026. No more delays.
The trial is expected to last approximately three months.
The Children
Throughout all of this—the investigation, the arrest, the preliminary hearing, the delays—Maya and Larry’s three children have been caught in the middle.
After Larry’s arrest, the children were placed with Maya’s family.
But Larry refuses to relinquish parental rights. From jail, he files motions for custody. He demands visitation. He wants to maintain contact with his children.
The court issues a protective order: Larry cannot contact the children directly. But he finds ways around it.
Between October 2021 and early 2023, Larry makes more than 100 phone calls from jail attempting to reach his children or have others deliver messages to them.
In some calls, he tries to coach the children about what to say if questioned by police or prosecutors. In others, he tells them that their mother “left” and will come back someday.
These calls violate the restraining order. Each violation adds to the evidence against him—evidence that he’s trying to manipulate witnesses and obstruct justice.
The children—now teenagers and one elementary schooler—are in therapy. They’re grieving a mother they’ll never see again. And they’re struggling with the knowledge that their father is accused of killing her.
The 10-year-old who asked investigators “Is my mom dead?” is now 15. He’ll never get his mother back. And if the jury convicts, he’ll never have his father either.
Where Is Maya?
That’s the question that has haunted this case from the beginning.
Where is Maya Millete?
Despite extensive searches, no one has found her remains.
Investigators have searched:
The Millete home and property (multiple times)
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (where Larry drove on January 7)
Hiking trails near Chula Vista
Remote areas in San Diego County backcountry
Landfills
Bodies of water
They’ve used cadaver dogs, ground-penetrating radar, drones, search teams. Nothing.
Prosecutors believe Larry hid Maya’s body somewhere remote. Somewhere he was familiar with. Somewhere she would never be found.
Larry grew up in the Philippines and served in the U.S. Navy. He knows the terrain around San Diego. He’s an experienced outdoorsman who frequented hiking and camping areas.
If he wanted to hide a body where it would never be discovered, he would know how.
And he’s never talking.
The No-Body Case
Like the Suzanne Simpson case in Texas, the Maya Millete case is a “no-body” homicide prosecution.
These cases are rare. And they’re difficult to win.
Prosecutors must prove two things beyond reasonable doubt:
1. Maya is dead (not missing voluntarily)
2. Larry killed her
For the first element, prosecutors will argue:
Maya left behind her purse, phone, car, and keys
She never contacted her children, family, or friends after January 7
She had no financial activity—no ATM withdrawals, no credit card charges, no paycheck deposits after January 7
She missed work without calling in—completely out of character
Her phone stopped transmitting location data at the family home on January 7
She told friends “If something happens to me, it was Larry”
No woman voluntarily abandons three young children without a word. No woman walks away from her job, her family, her entire life with nothing—no money, no phone, no identification.
Maya is dead. Prosecutors are certain.
For the second element, prosecutors will present:
The spellcaster messages showing intent to harm Maya
The gun searches and poison research two days before she disappeared
The eight loud bangs on January 7 at 8:30 PM
The gunshot residue found throughout the house
Larry’s contradictory statements about what happened
His suspicious behavior—cleaning the car, not searching, refusing to cooperate
His motive—Maya was divorcing him, and he was desperate to stop her
The defense will counter:
No body means no proof of death
All evidence is circumstantial
The spellcaster messages prove desperation, not murder
The loud bangs could have been fireworks (it was near the holidays)
Gunshot residue could be from routine gun handling
Larry had a right to remain silent and not incriminate himself
The jury will have to decide who they believe.
January 2026: Two Months Until Trial
As of January 2026, the trial is eight weeks away.
Jury questionnaires are being finalized. Potential jurors will be asked extensive questions about their exposure to media coverage, their opinions on circumstantial evidence, and their ability to convict without a body.
Prosecutors are preparing their witnesses. They’re organizing thousands of pages of evidence. They’re anticipating defense strategies.
Defense attorneys are building their case for reasonable doubt. They’re preparing expert witnesses who will challenge the prosecution’s forensic evidence. They’re crafting arguments about why jurors shouldn’t convict without remains.
And Maya’s family is bracing for the hardest three months of their lives.
They’ll sit in that courtroom every day. They’ll listen to gruesome details about what might have happened to Maya. They’ll see photos of the crime scene. They’ll hear recorded arguments between Maya and Larry.
And they’ll hope—desperately—that the jury will deliver justice.
The Family’s Message
In the five years since Maya disappeared, her family has never stopped fighting for her.
Maricris Drouaillet, Maya’s sister, has become the family’s spokesperson. She gives media interviews. She organizes vigils. She keeps Maya’s story in the public eye.
“We will never stop looking for Maya,” Maricris says. “And we will never stop fighting for justice”.
The family has created a website—FindMayaMilete.com—where they post updates, organize searches, and accept tips.
They’ve held annual vigils on January 7—the anniversary of Maya’s disappearance. Hundreds of people attend each year, holding candles and signs that read “Justice for Maya”.
Maya’s children participate in some of the vigils. They release balloons. They hold photos of their mother. They cry.
The family’s message is clear: Maya mattered. She was loved. She deserves justice. And they won’t rest until Larry Millete answers for what he did.
What the Jury Will Hear
When the trial begins on March 9, 2026, jurors will hear evidence that has never been fully disclosed to the public.
The neighbor’s video: The footage that captured the eight loud bangs—and whatever else happened that night—will finally be shown in court.
Larry’s jail calls: The 100+ phone calls where Larry allegedly tried to coach his children and manipulate witnesses.
Forensic analysis: Detailed reports about the gunshot residue, the gun searches, the cell phone data.
The spellcaster testimony: Some of the people Larry contacted may testify about his requests to harm Maya.
Maya’s messages: The Snapchat messages where Maya expressed fear and said “If something happens to me, it was Larry”.
Larry’s computer: Full forensic analysis of his search history, deleted files, and online activity.
The evidence will be overwhelming. But will it be enough to convict without a body?
That’s the gamble prosecutors are taking.
The Defense Strategy
Larry’s attorneys will likely argue several key points:
1. No Body = No Crime:
Without remains, there’s no definitive proof Maya is dead. She could be alive somewhere. She could have run away. Stranger things have happened.
2. Circumstantial Evidence Isn’t Enough:
Everything prosecutors have is circumstantial. No one saw Larry kill Maya. No one heard him confess. No physical evidence directly links him to a murder.
3. The Spellcasters Prove He DIDN’T Kill Her:
If Larry was contacting spellcasters asking them to keep Maya from leaving, that proves he wanted her alive—not dead. It shows desperation to save the marriage, not intent to kill.
4. Innocent Explanations:
The loud bangs could be fireworks. The gunshot residue is explained by his extensive gun collection. The car cleaning was routine maintenance. His silence after her disappearance was advice from attorneys.
5. Police Tunnel Vision:
Defense will argue that police focused on Larry from day one and ignored other possibilities. What if Maya had enemies? What if someone else harmed her?
These arguments won’t be easy for the jury to dismiss. Reasonable doubt is a high bar. And in a no-body case, there’s always inherent uncertainty.
February 2026: The Final Preparations
As February unfolds, both sides make their final preparations.
Prosecutors refine their opening statement. They practice direct examination of key witnesses. They prepare rebuttal evidence for anticipated defense arguments.
Defense attorneys finalize their expert witness list. They prepare cross-examination strategies. They craft an opening statement designed to plant seeds of doubt from the very first moment.
The judge finalizes jury instructions. The court schedules media access. Security is arranged for what will be one of San Diego County’s highest-profile trials in years.
And Maya’s family prepares emotionally for what’s ahead.
The Question No One Can Answer
Five years after Maya Millete vanished, one question haunts everyone involved in this case:
Where is she?
Larry knows. He’s the only one who knows.
But he’s never talking. He’s never cooperating. He’s never showing remorse or offering information.
Even if convicted—even if sentenced to life in prison—Larry may never reveal where he hid Maya’s body.
That means Maya’s family may never get closure. They may never be able to bring Maya home. They may never be able to hold a proper funeral, to bury her in a place where they can visit and mourn.
Larry will have taken that from them too.
March 9, 2026: The Trial Begins
In just over eight weeks, Larry Millete will sit in a San Diego County courtroom and face a jury of his peers.
Twelve strangers will listen to the evidence. They’ll see the spellcaster messages. They’ll hear the eight loud bangs on the recording. They’ll learn about the gun searches and the poison research.
They’ll hear Maya’s voice—captured in messages and testimony—expressing her fear, her plans to leave, her knowledge that Larry was dangerous.
And they’ll have to answer the ultimate question: Did Larry Millete murder his wife?
The stakes couldn’t be higher. If convicted, Larry faces life in prison.
If acquitted, he walks free. And Maya’s family may never get justice.
The Legacy of Maya Millete
Maya “May” Millete was more than a victim. She was a daughter. A sister. A mother. A friend. A colleague.
She came to the United States with dreams of a better life. She worked hard. She built a career. She raised three beautiful children.
She deserved to grow old. To watch her kids graduate. To meet her grandchildren. To retire and travel and live the life she’d worked so hard to build.
Instead, at 39 years old, her life was stolen from her.
Her children will grow up without their mother. Her parents will die without ever knowing where their daughter is buried. Her siblings will carry grief and unanswered questions for the rest of their lives.
But Maya’s family is determined that she won’t be forgotten.
They want the world to know her story. They want other women in abusive, controlling relationships to see the warning signs. They want people to understand that violence against women is preventable—if we take threats seriously, if we believe victims when they say they’re afraid, if we intervene before it’s too late.
Maya told people Larry was dangerous. She told them she feared for her safety. She said “If something happens to me, it was Larry”.
And then something happened to her.
The Unanswered Questions
As the trial approaches, several questions remain:
Will Larry testify? If he takes the stand, he’ll face brutal cross-examination. But if he doesn’t, jurors may wonder what he’s hiding.
Will the jury convict without a body? History shows these cases can go either way. Some juries are convinced by circumstantial evidence. Others can’t get past the lack of remains.
Will Larry ever reveal where Maya is? Some convicted killers eventually confess or offer information in exchange for considerations. Others take their secrets to the grave.
What will happen to the children? If Larry is convicted, Maya’s family will likely gain permanent custody. But the trauma these children have endured will last a lifetime.
Could Maya’s body ever be found? Sometimes remains are discovered years later by hikers, construction workers, or during unrelated investigations. But after five years, the odds are slim.
The Final Days Before Trial
In early March 2026, Maya’s family will gather in San Diego. They’ll stay in hotels near the courthouse. They’ll prepare themselves emotionally for the ordeal ahead.
Maricris will hold one final press conference before the trial begins. She’ll thank the prosecutors, the investigators, the volunteers who searched. She’ll thank the public for keeping Maya’s story alive.
And she’ll say what she’s said for five years:
“We will never stop fighting for Maya. We will never give up. And we believe justice will be served.”
On March 9, 2026, the doors to the courtroom will open. The jury will be seated. The judge will call the court to order.
And the trial of Larry Millete will begin.
But here’s what prosecutors won’t reveal until they’re in front of that jury: The evidence recovered from Larry’s phone includes deleted messages that show exactly what he planned to do on January 7, 2021. Messages he thought were erased forever but that forensic experts recovered.
And those messages—according to sources close to the prosecution—will shock everyone in that courtroom.
