Trial of Larry Millete for the Alleged Murder of His Wife

A troubling case unfolds in a San Diego courtroom as Larry Millete faces trial for the suspected murder of his missing wife, Mae “Maya” Millete. The proceedings have been rife with unsettling details, including allegations of ominous mail and a toxic plant poison.

With the opening statements wrapped up on Monday in Chula Vista Superior Court, the trial resumed for a full day of testimony on Tuesday, where prosecutors began calling witnesses to the stand.

Prosecutors took a direct approach, asserting that “Milete killed his wife because he could not accept the end of their 20-year marriage.” San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Christy Bowles emphasized that divorce was not a possibility for Larry Millete, who, she claimed, would do anything to stop his wife from leaving him.

Maya vanished in January 2021, mere days before a planned family getaway to Big Bear Lake to celebrate her daughter’s birthday. She hasn’t been seen since, with her car left parked outside their family home and her phone going silent, leading her sister Maricris Drouillet to report her missing shortly thereafter. The prosecution is framing this disappearance as a murder, not merely a missing person case.

Of particular concern is a vial located within Millete’s residence, which investigators say contained hemlock—a highly toxic plant. Hemlock is notorious for its severe effects, attacking the nervous system and potentially leading to respiratory failure.

Prosecutors told jurors that Millete had been searching online for information about hemlock and researching poisons capable of causing instant death, indicating a growing fixation on lethal methods.

Moreover, in a pretty unsettling twist, reports suggest that before Maya vanished, Millete had exchanged hundreds of emails with an online “witch doctor,” seeking supernatural ways to influence or harm his wife. In one message, he allegedly asked, “Can you cast a spell that will hurt her so much that she has to rely on me or need my help?” He even suggested something as alarming as causing “an accident or a broken bone.”

Such communications seem to exhibit a troubling shift from psychological manipulation to dark, harmful fantasies as his relationship deteriorated.

As the trial progressed on Tuesday, emotional testimony came from Maya’s father, Pablito Tabaranza, who broke down while questioning Millete, expressing his heartache and confusion: “I loved my daughter so much. Why did you do this?” Maya’s sister had previously revealed that Maya sought legal advice for a divorce, fearing it would become “messy” and explicitly mentioned her concerns that “if something were to happen to me, it would be Larry.”

Millete was arrested on October 19, 2021, and charged with first-degree murder. He has maintained his innocence throughout the trial, insisting Maya left voluntarily.

The defense lawyer, Colby Ryan, challenged the prosecution’s narrative, arguing that investigators were too quick to accuse Millete while overlooking other possible suspects, such as a co-worker who allegedly had a relationship with Maya or Millete’s pregnant wife, who is a county sheriff’s deputy. Ryan also questioned the poison evidence, suggesting that test results indicating the presence of hemlock might have been incorrect due to confusion with similar plants.

While Ryan described the prosecution’s case as “tragic, emotional, and provocative,” he claimed it hinged on the belief that Millete executed what he referred to as a “perfect murder.”

The trial is anticipated to last about three months, drawing significant interest despite the judge’s decision to prohibit cameras and live streaming, compelling onlookers to rely on private video feeds for updates.