Larry Millete found guilty after missing wife's spellcaster messages surfaced
A California jury convicted Larry Millete of first-degree murder in the death of Maya Millete, whose family last heard from her in January 2021.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
3 min read
Larry Millete was convicted July 9, 2026, of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Maya Millete, according to a case update reported by CBS News.
The verdict came years after Maya, a Chula Vista, California, mother of three, vanished in January 2021, just before her eldest daughter’s birthday. Her family last heard from her on Jan. 7, CBS News reported.
Larry Millete had previously pleaded not guilty after his October 2021 arrest, according to CBS News. His defense maintained that Maya left on her own, and his attorney, Bonita Martinez, told reporters after a bail hearing that it could not be ruled out that Maya was alive.
Maya’s relatives rejected the idea that she had walked away from her children. Her sister, Maricris Drouaillet, reported her missing to the Chula Vista Police Department on Jan. 9, and family members later told CBS News’ “48 Hours” they suspected Larry early in the case.
Police pointed to a call and strange online messages
Authorities said Maya’s last known phone call was to a divorce attorney on the day she disappeared, according to CBS News. Investigators believed that call was a key event before her killing.
They also described messages Larry allegedly sent to people offering spellcasting services online while the marriage was in trouble. In one message cited by authorities and reported by CBS News, Larry asked for Maya to be punished and made unable to leave the house.
Billy Little, an attorney and former U.S. Navy criminal defense investigator, became involved shortly after Maya disappeared. He told CBS News that his wife, Lou, worked with Maya at the naval base and asked him to help.
Little said he visited Larry at home on Jan. 11, 2021, and noticed what he described as odd details, including the house appearing to be aired out and what he said looked like recently repaired damage in a bedroom door and wall.
Little also told CBS News he obtained texts from relatives and friends that pointed to serious strain in the Milletes’ marriage. He said Larry had contacted online spellcasters as part of efforts to keep Maya in the relationship.
Family and volunteers kept searching
Maya worked at a naval base negotiating contracts for the U.S. Navy, according to CBS News. Her relatives, friends and coworkers said she would not have missed her daughter’s birthday or left her children by choice.
In the days after she disappeared, volunteers began organizing regular searches. CBS News reported that the group, known as Team Maya, included relatives, friends, coworkers and strangers.
Searchers focused on desert areas east of Chula Vista, near the Arizona border, because Maya and Larry had hiked there and Larry knew the region, according to CBS News. After his arrest, volunteers searched more targeted areas based on information from law enforcement that Larry may have traveled about two and a half hours from Chula Vista the day after Maya disappeared.
Maya’s family believed those areas could include camping spots known to them in the Anza-Borrego Desert or near the Glamis sand dunes in Imperial County, CBS News reported.
The case drew public pressure as Maya’s family and supporters sought answers from investigators, with searches also turning into gatherings outside Chula Vista Police headquarters, according to CBS News.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.