Maya Millete's Husband Killed Her Because She Wanted A Divorce, Prosecutors Allege As He's Arrested For Murder
Larry Millete has been charged with the murder of his wife Maya "May" Millete, who vanished from her southern California home in January.
The husband of Maya “May” Millete has been arrested for her murder, nine months after she vanished from her southern California home.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced at a Tuesday press conference that her office charged Larry Millete with Maya’s murder on Monday. She alleged that he killed her in January.
Maya, 39, vanished on Jan. 7 from her home Chula Vista, the same day that she scheduled an appointment with a divorce lawyer. Soon after her vanishing, Larry stopped cooperating with police, a public information officer for the department told Oxygen.com in February.
Stephan pointed to the divorce lawyer appointment as the catalyst for the alleged murder.
“In homicide cases, there’s often a triggering event,” she said. “The last call she made was to a divorce attorney. She did not make any further calls.”
Stephan said that Larry was aware of that call.
She said that Maya wanted to co-parent with Larry, while separating from their “toxic relationship.”
“But Larry would not have it,” she alleged.
Stephan noted Maya's devotion to her three young children. She was planning one of her children’s birthday parties for Jan. 10 when she vanished.
“They were the center of their life," Stephan said.
Larry is also being charged with the illegal possession of an assault weapon. Police had filed a gun violence restraining order request against him back in May, claiming that he was in possession of "illegal assault weapons and unregistered firearms," posing an "extreme danger to the public in both the cities of Chula Vista and San Diego.”
A pair of photos dated two days after Maya vanished were included in that request. The couple’s 4-year-old son can allegedly be seen "standing on the table surrounded by the same cache of legal and illegal firearms and ammunition” in one of the photographs, according to authorities.
Guns were seized from Larry's home as a result of that request.
He is being held without bail. He is expected to be arraigned on Thursday afternoon.
Larry claimed last month that Maya “voluntarily” left him and their three children as he fought to keep his kids away from Maya’s side of the family. He said in a petition that she had been acting “erratically” and that he’s “not a suspect and there is no evidence of foul play.”
Stephan said the community was hoping for the mother of three’s safe return, but noted that every piece of evidence pointed to the same tragic outcome — “that May was murdered.”
“I know the hearts of the community are broken as are the hearts of May’s family. I wish we had better news for them.”
Maya’s remains have not yet been found. Stephan emphasized that her office does not know where her body is, and that her remains could have been disposed of hours away from her home. She urged members of the public with information to come forward with information that could bring her home to her family.