Maya Millete Murder Case: Arrest Warrant Details Husband's Unraveling

It is a case that has riveted San Diego and the nation. A family’s worst nightmare. Beautiful May “Maya” Millete, only thirty-nine years old disappeared nine months ago. Her three young children were her life, and she would never have left them voluntarily. Her distraught and heartbroken family has searched endlessly for her and made national televised appeals, but the haunting question remains the same: Where is Maya Millete?

According to the prosecution, one person knows exactly where she is, and that is her husband of nearly 21 years, Larry Millete. Although named a person of interest, he remained free. That is until Tuesday, October 19, 2021, when he was arrested and charged with Maya’s murder despite this being a “no body” case. On Thursday, October 21, 2021, Larry was formally arraigned in a Chula Vista courtroom and entered a plea of “not guilty.”

I obtained the arrest warrant, and though parts remain under seal, the portions released reveal a husband unraveling and turning to homicidal ideations. Maya Millete was taking steps to divorce her husband, and Larry Millete was desperate to stop her. On January 7, 2021, Maya called a divorce attorney. It was the last call she would ever make.

Maya and Larry were married in Honolulu, Hawaii on May 12, 2000, when Maya was 19 and Larry was 18. They had three children, two daughters and a son, ages 11, 9 and 4 respectively. How had things gone so wrong? The arrest warrant and supporting declaration revealed the following:

Maya is Reported Missing

On January 9, 2021, Maya’s sister, Maricris, called the Chula Vista Police Department to report her sister missing.
Maricris said Maya and her husband had been having marital problems, including recent fighting.
The family was concerned as they had not heard from Maya since the evening of Thursday, January 7, 2021. The family was going to celebrate Maya’s daughter’s 11th birthday in Big Bear on January 10th and Maya had stopped responding to a family group text about this special event she had planned.
Officers went to the Millete home shortly after midnight on January 10, 2021. They learned Larry and Maya had an argument the night of January 7, 2021.
Larry allowed the officers to look at his cell phone, but all the messages between Larry and Maya prior to January 9, 2021, had been deleted.

Maya Was Taking Steps to Divorce Her Husband

In 2020, Maya began taking steps to leave her husband.
By the end of the year, in December of 2020, Maya told her friends her marriage “was definitely over,” and she had decided to file for divorce.
Maya revealed to a friend that at one time in the past, Larry had choked her until she passed out.

Larry “Grew Increasingly Paranoid” and Exhibited “Stalker-Like” Behavior

In 2020, Larry “grew increasingly paranoid” that Maya was going to leave the marriage and he began to monitor her whereabouts.
Larry discovered Maya was having an affair. He would show up unannounced at her work to see if she was meeting with another man.
Beginning in September 2020 and through January 7, 2021, Larry became obsessed with Maya’s activities and communications. He became “controlling” and exhibited “stalker-like” behavior.

Larry Became Desperate, Turned to Spellcasters, and Manifested Homicidal Ideations

Larry did not want the marriage to end. He turned desperate, conducted disturbing internet searches, and sought help from “spellcasters.”
In March 2020, Larry searched the internet for “plant you take to never wake up” and in November 2020, “water hemlock.”
As the relationship declined, Maya was not interested in a physical relationship with Larry. In December 2020, Larry searched for “Flunitrazepam, Rohypnol, and Diphenhydramine,” central nervous system sedatives and depressants that could be used to incapacitate a person. Rohypnol is referred to as a “date rape” drug.
Between September 2020 and January 2021, Larry contacted various companies daily, sometimes multiple times, to purchase “spells” to be cast upon Maya. The companies purported to be psychics, spirit channelers, and white light practitioners.
Larry purchased spells and sent messages requesting Maya obey him, and fall back in love with him. Later his messages turned to requesting to incapacitate her or make her sick so she could not leave the house.
On December 27, 2020, he requested, “Please Punish May and incapacitate her enough so she can’t leave the house. It’s time to take the gloves off.”
On December 31, 2020, while in the desert dirt biking and off roading, he asked a spellcaster, “Can you hex to have her hurt enough that she will have to depend on me and need my help. She’s only nice to me when she needs me or sick. Thanks again. Maybe an accident or broken bones.”
In January 2021, Maya’s family went to Glamis for a New Year’s celebration. Family members described Larry’s behavior as odd and erratic.
On the trip, Larry asked a family member if he knew someone to “get” the other guy. This was interpreted as finding someone to hurt the man who Maya had an affair with.

January 6, 2021: Larry Was Unraveling

Maya’s communication with family and friends shows she was preparing for divorce, causing escalating tension with Larry.
On January 6, 2021, she sent a text to a friend stating, “I told him I’m filing for divorce whether he likes it or not. I’m done trying to make it amicable for the sake of the kids.”
Larry sent his boss text messages of the messages sent to him from Maya. The messages indicated Maya was seeking a divorce and Larry was unraveling.

January 7, 2021: Maya’s Last Day

On January 7, 2021, at 3:48 p.m. Maya called a law firm and set up an appointment with a divorce attorney for January 12, 2021. She wanted to wait to start the divorce until after her daughter’s birthday on January 10th.
On January 7, 2021, Larry sent countless emails to spellcasters begging for help to prevent Maya from leaving him and filing for divorce. In the afternoon of January 7th, he sent an email, “I think she wants me to snap” and “I’m shaking inside ready to snap.”
At 4:39 p.m. he sent an email to a spellcaster, “Make her realize that we are meant to be with each other. Make her miserable without me. Make her want to sleep on the same bed for all eternity.”
At 8:15 p.m. Maya’s last communication was with her family through Facebook messenger when she shared an ad for a Toy Hauler.
At 9:21 p.m. Larry sent a screenshot of his account balance from one of his cryptocurrency applications to his two daughters, ages 9 and 11.
At 9:57 p.m. the sound of nine loud bangs was recorded on a neighbor’s security footage. FBI analysis could not scientifically classify them as gunshots though.
At 10:34 p.m. the Millete children were heard playing in the backyard, which was odd as it was so late and a school night.

January 8, 2021: Larry Was Gone for 11 Hours and 21 Minutes

At 1:25 a.m. on January 8, 2021, Maya’s phone activity stopped.
At 5:58 a.m. security video captured Larry moving his Lexus GX460. The Lexus was already backed into the driveway, but Larry repositioned it at an angle as he backed it up to the garage. Surveillance video could not capture Larry loading anything into the car at that angle.
At 6:46 a.m. Larry left in the Lexus GX460 and did not return home until 6:06 p.m. He was gone 11 hours and 21 minutes.
On January 8, 2021, Larry stopped contacting spellcasters begging for help to keep May from leaving him.
From January 9, 2021, through February 2021 he asked spellcasters to punish the man with whom Maya had an affair.

Larry Was Unexpectedly Absent from Work January 6, 7, and 8, 2021

Larry did not go to work on January 6, 7, or 8, 2021.
Larry sent his boss text messages of the messages sent to him from Maya. The messages indicated Maya was seeking a divorce and Larry was unraveling.
On January 8, 2021, Larry’s family and boss were looking for him and could not find him. His boss sent a message to Maya concerned as it was not like Larry to miss work.

Larry’s Alibi on January 8, 2021, Could Not Be Corroborated

On January 8, 2021, Maya’s brother went to the house around 6:30 p.m. Larry told him he had been at work all day and could not account for Maya’s whereabouts. He then changed his story and said he had taken his 4-year-old son to Solana Beach to give Maya her space. Larry claimed he was there the entire day.
When shown a map, Larry pointed to Torrey Pines State Beach, four miles from Solana Beach. Weather reports for Torrey Pines showed a high of 63 degrees and a low of 50 degrees.
Larry said he took his phone with him, but records revealed it was off from 6:45 a.m. – 6:34 p.m.
Investigators were unable to determine Larry’s whereabouts for January 8, 2021, but a search warrant of January 26, 2021, to seize the contents of the Lexus GX460 Infotainment System, revealed a navigation event on January 8, 2021, at 3:29 p.m. for Larry’s home address. Larry had typed in his home address when he was two and a half hours from his house. The system did not capture any more locations or routes.

Larry Was In Possession of An Illegal Assault Weapon

On January 23, 2021, a search warrant was served on the Millete residence. Detectives located a .223/5.56 rifle, which was an unlawful assault rifle, a felony.
There were four registered firearms to Larry which were unaccounted for at the time of the search warrant. Larry said he gave them to “a friend.”
On May 7, 2021, Larry was served with a Gun Violence Restraining Order. Larry was to surrender all firearms, but he did not comply. Detectives searched the home for the firearms.
Detectives seized three of the four registered firearms they were unable to located on January 23, 2021. They also seized two Glock handguns Larry acquired after January 23rd, and an additional unregistered firearm, numerous firearm parts, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
A Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun is still missing.

No Proof of Life For Maya

Maya excelled at her job and was committed to her career. As of June 2020, Maya worked for the Department of Defense as a Supervisor Contract Specialist. On June 21, 2020, she changed jobs to work as an Administrative Specialist at the Naval Institution Warfare Center Pacific.
Maya was an avid cell phone user. After January 7, 2021, at 8:15 p.m. she has not communicated with anyone via text, social media, or phone.
On January 8, 2021, at 1:25 a.m. Maya’s phone was at her home.
Maya’s financial accounts and credit cards show no activity.
Maya’s items of value remained in the house, including jewelry, purses, and clothing.
The case has received international media coverage, yet there have been no credible sightings of her.
Family and friends confirm Maya was not suicidal and she would never voluntarily leave her children.

As this murder case now begins in the courtroom, search efforts remain strong. Who could ever forget Maya’s sister, Maricris, at the press conference announcing Larry’s arrest, sobbing as she begged, “Please help us bring my sister home. I want to see my sister.”

With the new information learned from the Lexus GX460’s navigation the family is now searching places two and a half hours from the Millete home. This past weekend, I went on the search at Tamarisk Grove Campground in the Anza Borrego Desert. The vast landscape made the search a daunting task, but everyone is still hopeful and will press on until Maya is found.

The pressing question is raised: Will Maya be found before the trial?

Photos from the October 23, 2021 Search for Maya: Tamarisk Grove Campground, Anza Borrego Desert

About Aleida K. Wahn, Esq.

Aleida - The Dead Files - 1st Appearance

I am an attorney, award-winning true crime writer, and legal analyst of criminal cases. I cover criminal trials and write stories and books about compelling, gripping, and unforgettable cases that impact our world. I take you into the courtroom in high-profile murder trials, rape cases, crimes of passion, cases involving mental illness, deviant behavior, and more. I have a deep passion for true crime, criminal law, and all aspects of the criminal justice system. I have appeared as an expert on true crime shows, including “48 Hours,” “Snapped,” and “The Dead Files,” and provided legal analysis on high-profile criminal trials on Court TV, the Law & Crime Trial Network, Fox 5 News, ABC 10 News, and KUSI News. I also create and host shows with the Del Mar Television Producers Group, addressing criminal justice and social issues in recent criminal trials.

I provided my insight and legal analysis on Court TV and the Law & Crime Trial Network of the high-profile trial of former NFL star Kellen Winslow Jr. It was a trial that captured the nation as the heralded ex-football star with fame, fortune, and a famous name stood accused of multiple rapes and other sex crimes involving five women. As the trial delved into shocking facts, complicated legal issues, and unexpected twists and turns, I was there for every minute. After the trial, I wrote a book on the case, going behind the headlines to share the extraordinary details of what happened inside the courtroom. Judging Winslow Jr.: From NFL Star to Serial Rapist? Inside the Shocking Rape Trial of Kellen Boswell Winslow II is now available on Amazon.

I am passionate about telling true crime stories, as these penetrating stories have the power to move us all, while highlighting societal issues which need to be addressed. I have personally seen the human devastation which is present in each trial and believe there is a lesson to be learned in every single case. It is through awareness and examining critical issues society can effect change and even make new laws. To learn more, please visit: https://www.aleidalaw.com.

Read about the gripping and unforgettable trials that I have covered in my latest books: