A jury found Larry Millete guilty of first‑degree murder on July 9, more than five years after his wife, Maya Millete, disappeared from their Chula Vista home on January 7, 2021. Prosecutors relied exclusively on circumstantial evidence; Maya’s body has not been recovered and there was no confirmed crime scene or eyewitness account. Investigators testified that Larry sought help from online "spellcasters" to influence or incapacitate Maya before she vanished. Maya’s sister continues search efforts and launched a GoFundMe in 2022; Larry also pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered assault weapon and faces sentencing on September 29.
Husband Convicted of First‑Degree Murder After Turning to Online ‘Spellcasters’ to Stop Wife From Leaving
KHON2 News/Youtube, CBS/Youtube and HelpFindMay/Facebook
More than five years after Maya Millete vanished from her Chula Vista, California, home, a jury has delivered a verdict her family long sought. On July 9, jurors convicted her husband, Larry Millete, of first‑degree murder despite the fact that Maya’s body has never been found.
HelpFindMay/Facebook
Evidence and Trial
The prosecution relied entirely on circumstantial evidence: there was no confirmed crime scene, no recovered weapon and no eyewitness directly linking a homicide to Mr. Millete. Prosecutors highlighted a pattern of increasingly desperate behavior in the months before Maya disappeared on January 7, 2021.
Maya Millete's Search Fund/GoFundMe
Investigators testified that Larry sought help from people online who claimed they could cast spells to influence Maya’s feelings and behavior. Investigator Billy Little, who joined the search efforts soon after Maya vanished, told Paramount’s 48 Hours that Larry had contacted internet "spellcasters" hoping to change his wife’s emotions. According to reporting from NBC affiliate News4SA, one message from Larry to a spellcaster reportedly said: "Please punish [Maya] and incapacitate her enough so she can't leave the house. It's time to take the gloves off." Authorities say Maya’s last known call was to a divorce attorney on the day she disappeared, a step prosecutors say precipitated the killing.
Maya Millete's Search Fund/GoFundMe
Search Efforts and Family Response
Maya’s sister, Maricris Drouaillet, organized extensive searches across desert terrain near the Arizona border in the years following Maya’s disappearance. After the verdict, Drouaillet said, "Justice has been served today, but we still have to bring my sister home." In 2022 she launched a GoFundMe titled "Maya Millete's Search Fund" to support continued efforts to locate Maya’s remains.
Related Legal Proceedings
Separately, on July 20 Larry Millete pleaded guilty to a felony count of possessing an unregistered assault weapon. He is scheduled for sentencing on September 29 and faces a potential prison term of 25 years to life for that conviction.
Case Note: This conviction is notable for being obtained without direct physical evidence connecting the defendant to a body or crime scene; prosecutors built their case around motive, communications, behavior and other circumstantial proof.
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