The verdict follows nearly two months of testimony in a case unlike almost any other prosecuted in San Diego County. Maya's body has never been found. There was no confession, no murder weapon presented at trial, and no eyewitness who saw a killing. Instead, prosecutors relied almost entirely on an extensive web of circumstantial evidence that they argued painted an unmistakable picture of premeditated murder.
Maya disappeared on January 7, 2021, after returning to the family's home in Chula Vista's San Miguel Ranch neighborhood. Earlier that same day, prosecutors said she had contacted a divorce attorney and was preparing to leave her marriage after years of turmoil. Surveillance cameras captured Maya walking into the home that evening carrying bags. No camera ever recorded her leaving.
Over the course of the trial, prosecutors argued Larry Millete's increasingly desperate efforts to save the marriage escalated into murder after Maya made clear she intended to leave him. Jurors were shown text messages in which Larry wrote that he was "ready to snap" and "about to lose it," as well as extensive communications with online spellcasters whom prosecutors said he paid to cast love spells, curses, and eventually death-related rituals as his marriage unraveled.
Investigators also pointed to a mysterious 12-hour period on January 8, 2021, during which Larry's cellphone was powered off while his Lexus SUV accumulated hundreds of unexplained miles. Prosecutors argued he traveled into remote desert terrain near the California-Arizona border to dispose of Maya's body. Her remains have never been recovered.
Additional evidence included surveillance recordings, testimony about Larry's alleged controlling behavior throughout the marriage, allegations that he secretly tracked Maya's movements, a backyard fire where investigators later recovered Maya's burned credit card, and searches involving poisons recovered during the investigation.
The defense argued the prosecution's case was built entirely on speculation. Attorneys repeatedly reminded jurors that no body had ever been found, no forensic evidence proved Maya had been murdered inside the home, and no direct evidence connected Larry to her death. They suggested investigators developed tunnel vision and failed to adequately pursue alternative explanations, including Maya voluntarily leaving or other possible suspects.
Ultimately, jurors concluded the circumstantial evidence established Larry's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. He was convicted of first degree murder after only five hours of deliberation.
The conviction brings legal resolution to a case that has consumed San Diego County for more than five years, though many questions remain unanswered.
The most significant remains the location of Maya's body.
Since her disappearance, Maya's family has organized countless searches, vigils, prayer hikes, and public awareness campaigns while raising Maya and Larry's three children, who are now in the custody of Maya's sister following years of legal proceedings.
Larry Millete now faces sentencing, where he could receive a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. For Maya's family, the verdict represents justice long sought. But without Maya's remains, closure remains elusive.
Originally published on July 9, 2026.
