Husband charged with murder of missing SoCal mom Maya Millete learns fate after sensational 2-month trial

Husband charged with murder of missing SoCal mom Maya Millete learns fate after sensational 2-month trial

A jury unanimously found San Diego-area husband Larry Millete guilty of murdering his missing wife, Maya, on Thursday after a blockbuster two-month trial.

The Navy optician was found guilty of first-degree murder guilty after about five hours of deliberation by the jury, which reviewed evidence that revealed domestic abuse, infidelity and a campaign of fear against the mother of three, who was last seen in January 2021 and has never been found.

Larry Millete guilty of murdering his missing wife, Maya, after a two-month trial.
Maya went missing in January 2021. Facebook

As the verdict was read, Maya’s family and friends burst into tears and hugged, according to Fox 5. Larry appeared stunned, turning to his parents with bloodshot eyes and raising his eyebrows, appearing to hold back tears.

The outcome rewards prosecutors who had been following breadcrumbs of circumstantial evidence that they determined pointed to Larry, who police arrested nine months after Maya’s disappearance.

One critical piece of evidence was Maya’s journal. In it, explosive entries spoke of fears that she had regarding her husband.The mother of three accused him of domestic abuse and wrote about standing up for herself.

The mother of three accused Larry Millete of domestic abuse and wrote about standing up for herself.

“He abuses me physically. … I want to be strong, so he never puts his hands on me again,” she wrote in one entry.

In another passage, she added: “I’m literally afraid of your dad sometimes. He’s capable of hurting me.”

Maya also appeared to accuse Larry of marital rape. “Nothing stops him from forcing himself on me,” she wrote.

As the couple was nearing divorce in the final months of their relationship, Maya penned a message to Larry months before her disappearance.

The former couple was nearing divorce in the final months of their relationship.
There were signs Larry was unwilling to accept the reality of a divorce. Screenshot ABC

“Let me find my peace… I cannot find it with you,” she wrote, adding that their relationship was “unhealthy” and “toxic.”

But there were signs Larry was unwilling to accept the reality of a divorce, which Maya sought out in her final months.

“Divorce was not an option” for Larry, San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Christy Bowles told jurors back in May.

He allegedly resorted to bizarre methods of potentially hurt his wife through plant poison and spellcraft.

A vial containing liquid from hemlock, a highly poisonous plant capable of killing, was found inside the Millette home. Larry allegedly searched for information about hemlock online and looked up poisons that could kill quickly, suggesting a growing fixation on lethal methods, according to prosecutors.

He also sent hundreds of emails to online “spellcasters” before his wife disappeared, seeking ways to influence or harm her through supernatural means.

Larry was accused of resorting to bizarre methods of potentially hurting his wife through plant poison and spellcraft.

In one message, he allegedly asked, “Can you hex to have her hurt enough that she will have to depend on me or need my help?”

He allegedly followed with more disturbing language, writing: “She’s only nice to me when she needs me or [is] sick. Thanks again. Maybe [an] accident or broken bone.”

The prosecution also called for testimony from former Chula Vista Police Department forensic specialist David Garber. He testified that investigators found searches including “how to mentally torture someone with words,” “psychological torture,” and “how to mentally torture someone.”

And in a shocking turn, Garber further testified that investigators discovered what could be evidence of a small bloodstain in the trunk of Larry’s Lexus, along with streaks suggesting the area had been wiped clean.

The circumstantial evidence all led to Larry’s conviction Thursday, which came without any direct evidence linking him to Maya’s death. No murder weapon or victim was ever found.

Bowles said the killer shouldn’t be let off for hiding a body.

“You know what he did — you know why he did it. You just don’t know how,” Bowles told the jury during the prosecution’s closing arguments Tuesday. “The law does not reward a murderer for successfully hiding a body.”

The prosecutor said circumstantial evidence made the case, during a press conference following the verdict.

“Circumstantial evidence is equally strong as direct evidence, and in this case we’re just very grateful to the jury for their hard work and for coming to the conclusion that they did,” she said.

“It’s an honor to do this job and to work on behalf of a family like this. I think for all of us it’s just been an honor to try to do whatever we could on their behalf and to bring justice to their daughter, their sister, their aunt, their loved one,” she added.

Maya’s family reminded the public that her sister has still not been found.

Maya’s sister, Maricris Drouaillet, who first reported her missing after not hearing or seeing her after several days, was spotted crying in court Thursday. She grew suspicious of Larry in the early days of the case after he claimed to her that Maya closed herself in her room and would not come out.

When the family insisted Larry open the door, they discovered Maya was not there. They then filed the missing persons report for the woman.

Drouaillet reminded the public that her sister has still not been found.

“Justice probably has been served today, but we still have my sister out there,” she said. “We still have to bring my sister home and bring her to her three children who have been waiting for five years. We still ask the public for help; one of these days, we can bring her home.”

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