Accused Wife Killer Heads To Court In San Diego

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA — A man charged with killing his wife, a Chula Vista woman who remains missing more than two years after disappearing from her home, is due in court Wednesday for a hearing that will determine whether he stands trial for her murder.

Larry Millete, 41, is accused of killing 39-year-old May "Maya" Millete, the mother of his three children who disappeared on Jan. 7, 2021.

Millete was arrested in October of 2021 on suspicion of killing his wife, whose body has not been found. He's remained in jail since then without bail on charges of murder and unlawful possession of an assault weapon.

Millete has denied any involvement in his wife's disappearance and in a separate court case, he wrote in a declaration that he believed his wife left their home voluntarily.

The preliminary hearing that begins Wednesday will include some of the first new details into the investigation since Millete's arrest. The proceeding is estimated to last two to three weeks.

Prosecutors allege Millete killed his wife because she sought a divorce. He allegedly employed the services of spell casters, through which he hoped magic could be used to convince his wife to stay.

Later, he allegedly sought for the spell casters to render her incapacitated so she could not leave the home.

His messages to spell casters abruptly halted after Jan. 8, save for one message on Jan. 9 that requested for any hexes on May to be removed, according to an arrest warrant declaration.

While authorities have not definitively stated how they believed May Millete died, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said during a 2021 news conference that a neighbor's security camera recorded nine loud banging sounds on the night of her disappearance, just before 10 p.m.. However, it could not be confirmed whether the noises on the video were gunshots.

Though Millete was ordered by a court to surrender all firearms in his possession, one of his guns — a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber handgun — was missing.

Last year, the murder case was delayed after Millete's defense attorney declared a doubt regarding his competence to stand trial. A defendant is deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial if they are unable to understand the nature of the criminal proceedings or assist their attorney in their defense.

Criminal proceedings were reinstated about four months later.

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