In a joint press conference on Oct. 19 at the Chula Vista Police Station, the Chula Vista Police Department and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of Larry Millete earlier that day by the CVPD, the husband of May “Maya” Millete of Chula Vista who has been missing since January. Larry Millete is charged with the murder of his wife, and with illegal possession of an assault weapon. According to the DA’s office, if convicted, Millete faces life in state prison. Millete was booked into a San Diego County jail and being held without bail. He was scheduled for arraignment on Thursday in the South Bay Courthouse in Chula Vista.
After nine months of searching for Maya’s body, the DA’s office filed the case based on evidence in a nine-month investigation in collaboration with the Chula Vista police, that led the investigation, a team from the DA’s office, along with support form the FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
When asked if the case would be affected by the lack of finding Maya’s body, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephen said that California law allows prosecutors to file murder charges even though the body of the missing person is not found, saying that case law holds that successfully disposing of a victim’s body does not entitle a murderer to avoid prosecution. She added there is case law that will be used in this case that a missing body is circumstantial evidence that there was foul play. She said it is a case that is built on a piece by piece circumstantial evidence at this point.
“Whenever one of our community goes missing, we hope for their safe return,” said Stephan “Sometimes missing persons cases remain unsolved, but as the evidence unfolded in this case, it pointed in one direction, that May was murdered. As we make this announcement, I know the hearts of the community are with May’s family, her three young children, and everyone who knew and loved her.”
Police Chief Roxana Kennedy assured the community that May’s children were out of the home and safe when a SWAT team was sent in to arrest Millete. She said May was reported missing shortly before midnight on Jan. 9, last seen two days earlier by family at her residence. She said since that time, the CVPD has been dedicated in finding the circumstances behind her disappearance, but that she feels confident about the case and the evidence that they have.
“To date, the investigation has included over 67 search warrants, 87 interviews, review and investigation of over 130 tips, and thousands of hours of methodical investigative efforts,” she said. “These efforts ultimately generated a variety of pieces of evidence that have become clear and overwhelming. Larry Millete, May’s husband, is responsible for May’s murder and disappearance. Today is a step towards justice, but it does not mark the end of our investigation.”
Kennedy said May was loved by her family and friends and committed to her children and her murder and disappearance has affected many over the past nine months, including many people who had never met her.
“While we are here to report the arrest of Larry Millete, nothing will stop the fact that May’s murder is a senseless tragedy,” she said. “A mother is gone. A family is broken. And a community is left with questions and confusion…I want you to know that I pray every day that we find May and we give closure to your family.”
In an emotional plea, May’s sister Maricris Droualillet thanked everyone who had worked on her sister’s case, including the large community members that continue to search for May’s body.
“This is overwhelming at this time for me. It has been really hard,” she said. “It is a family. He is our family. It is hard to go against family that has been with us for 20 years…This is still not the end. We still have a long way to go. We are still asking the public to please help us bring my sister home. I still want to see my sister and bring her home. We promised her 11-year-old daughter that we would bring her home and let the kids know where their mommy is at. Let them know the truth.”
Stephan provided a brief synopsis of unsealed collective evidence in the search warrant, asking people to understand, what is not being shared would be shared in the courtroom, and that the evidence compromise additional investigation or a jury trial, but might help people come forward now that Millete is arrested, and they can continue to search for more evidence, with hopes of finding May’s body and bringing her home to her family for a proper burial. Stephan said historically, many people who know details about a crime do not come forward due to fear, loyalties until an arrest is made.
Investigators found:
• Starting in 2020 and continuing to Jan. 7, 2021, May wanted a divorce, her husband did not. On Jan. 7, the last call recorded that May made was with a divorce attorney and set an appointment for Jan. 12. She made no further calls. Larry Millete was aware, sending text messages to his boss that the divorce was coming.
• Millete resorted to contacting “spell casters” asking for May to remain in the relationship, then became more threatening, asking for May to become incapacitated, in an accident, to have broken bones so she could stay at home, displaying his homicidal idealizations to harm May.
• Millete sent a text message on Jan. 7, saying that May “wanted him to snap” and he was “facing inside, be ready to snap.” He also screened shot his crypto currency account to his two daughters, ages 11 and 9.
• May’s phone activity stopped on Jan. 8.
• On Jan. 9, Millete’s messages to spell casters, changed from May to a man he wanted to punish for the failed relationship. This was before May’s sister Maricris Droualillet reported her missing
• On Jan. 8, security footage showed Millete at 5:15 a.m. moving his black Lexus GS460 with a MAYLANI license plate backed into the driveway but was repositioned it with the back end in the garage, where no video camera could capture whether a body was put in the back of the Lexus or not. Millete left at 6:45 a.m. and did not return to the house for 11 hours and 21 minutes with his 4-year-old, leaving the older children at home. He left his phone behind with no ability for GPS tracking. When asked by investigators, he said he went to Solana Beach with his daughter. When shown a map, he pointed to Torrey Pines Beach.
• On Jan. 8, Millete’s employer called Larry Millete, and May, wondering where he was and that it was unusual for him to miss work. His father called with no response. In a search warrant, download showed Millete was at his home address, two and a half hours before returning to the home.
“I am giving this information so that the public understands that we do not have the vicinity where the body may be,” said Stephan. “It may be out two and a half hours or even farther or closer, and that is why we need the public’s help.”
Stephan said when serving a search warrant looking for weapons, despite a court order he had not turned over a 40 caliber gun, which remains outstanding today. She encouraged anyone that might be in possession of that weapon, to turn it over to police.
Stephan said that video footage from a neighbor’s residence that recorded nine loud bangs on Jan. 7, at around 9:17 p.m., but that the FBI could not determine whether it was gunshots due to the quality of the recording. But, at 10:34 p.m., neighbors heard the Millete children playing in the backyard, unusual because of the time of night.
On Jan. 8, May’s brother went to her house around 6:30 p.m. Millete first told the brother that he was at work, then changed the story that he went to the beach.
Stephan said it was important to note that Millete did not call the police to report May was missing, it was her sister Maricris who called the police, worried about her no contact with the family.
Stephan said part of a no body investigation is to look for proof of life. “And in this case, for nine months, there is no proof of life that May is alive.”
After Jan. 7 at 8:15 p.m. was her last communication with anyone via text, social media, or phone calls. In looking at finances, while May had a savings account, making a decent living, there were no withdrawals from any account before, not during. All her valuables were left in the house. All four cars are accounted for.
Stephan said a key piece of evidence is where May’s phone was able to be tracked, that phone gives key additional information about what happened. She said in September, after an extensive investigation, that May’s phone was in that San Miguel neighborhood, at her home or thereabouts.
“We ask the public at this point to call with any tips in regards to the Lexus GS460, black, with the license plate MAYLANI,” she said. “If you saw that vehicle at any time on Jan. 8, please call and report that information. If you have any information about the 40 caliber gun, please call and report that information. If you have any evidence that you are aware of, please call and report that information. While this arrest and charges starts the path on the way to justice, this is not a win. We have lost a life and all we can do is to pursue justice fairly in order to bring justice to this family.”
