{"id":3194,"date":"2026-07-10T20:17:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T15:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=3194"},"modified":"2026-07-10T20:17:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T15:17:38","slug":"husband-charged-with-murder-of-missing-socal-mom-maya-millete-found-guilty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=3194","title":{"rendered":"Husband charged with murder of missing SoCal mom Maya Millete found guilty"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F07%2F133985552.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>A jury unanimously found San Diego-area husband Larry Millete guilty of murdering his missing wife, Maya, on Thursday after a blockbuster two-month trial. <\/p>\n<p>The Navy optician was found guilty of first-degree murder guilty after about five hours of deliberation by the jury, which reviewed evidence that <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/05\/27\/us-news\/bombshell-11-word-letter-missing-wife-maya-millete-penned-husband-before-vanishing\/\">revealed<\/a> domestic abuse, infidelity and a campaign of <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/05\/27\/us-news\/bombshell-11-word-letter-missing-wife-maya-millete-penned-husband-before-vanishing\/\">fear<\/a> against the mother of three, who was last seen in January 2021 and has <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/05\/19\/us-news\/san-diego-murder-trial-of-missing-wife-involves-alleged-plant-poison\/\">never been found.<\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Larry Millete guilty of murdering his missing wife, Maya, after a two-month trial.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Maya went missing in January 2021. <span class=\"credit\">Facebook<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As the verdict was read, Maya\u2019s family and friends burst into tears and hugged, <a href=\"https:\/\/fox5sandiego.com\/maya-millete\/larry-millete-trial-verdict\/\">according to Fox 5<\/a>. Larry appeared stunned, turning to his parents with bloodshot eyes and raising his eyebrows, appearing to hold back tears.<\/p>\n<p>The outcome rewards prosecutors who had been following breadcrumbs of circumstantial evidence that they determined pointed to Larry, who police arrested nine months after Maya\u2019s disappearance.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>One critical piece of evidence was Maya\u2019s journal. In it, explosive entries spoke of fears that she had regarding her husband.The mother of three accused him of domestic abuse and wrote about standing up for herself.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The mother of three accused Larry Millete of domestic abuse and wrote about standing up for herself.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cHe abuses me physically. \u2026 I want to be strong, so he never puts his hands on me again,\u201d she wrote in one entry. <\/p>\n<p>In another passage, she added: \u201cI\u2019m literally afraid of your dad sometimes. He\u2019s capable of hurting me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Maya also appeared to accuse Larry of marital rape. \u201cNothing stops him from forcing himself on me,\u201d\u00a0she wrote.<\/p>\n<p>As the couple was nearing divorce in the final months of their relationship, Maya penned a message to Larry months before her disappearance.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The former couple was nearing divorce in the final months of their relationship. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>There were signs Larry was unwilling to accept the reality of a divorce. <span class=\"credit\">Screenshot ABC<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cLet me find my peace\u2026 I cannot find it with you,\u201d she wrote, adding that their relationship was \u201cunhealthy\u201d and \u201ctoxic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But there were signs Larry was unwilling to accept the reality of a divorce, which Maya sought out in her final months.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDivorce was not an option\u201d for Larry, San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Christy Bowles told <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/05\/19\/us-news\/san-diego-murder-trial-of-missing-wife-involves-alleged-plant-poison\/\">jurors back in May.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>He allegedly resorted to bizarre methods of potentially hurt his wife through plant poison and spellcraft.<\/p>\n<p>A vial containing liquid from hemlock, a highly poisonous plant capable of killing, was found inside the Millette home. Larry allegedly searched for information about hemlock online and looked up poisons that could kill quickly, suggesting a growing fixation on lethal methods, according to prosecutors.<\/p>\n<p>He also sent hundreds of emails to online \u201cspellcasters\u201d before his wife disappeared, seeking ways to influence or harm her through supernatural means.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Larry was accused of resorting to bizarre methods of potentially hurting his wife through plant poison and spellcraft.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In one message, he allegedly asked, \u201cCan you hex to have her hurt enough that she will have to depend on me or need my help?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He allegedly followed with more disturbing language, writing: \u201cShe\u2019s only nice to me when she needs me or [is] sick. Thanks again. Maybe [an] accident or broken bone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The prosecution also called for testimony from former Chula Vista Police Department forensic specialist David Garber. He testified that investigators found searches including \u201chow to mentally torture someone with words,\u201d \u201cpsychological torture,\u201d and \u201chow to mentally torture someone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And in a shocking turn, Garber further testified that investigators discovered what could be evidence of a small bloodstain in the trunk of Larry\u2019s Lexus, along with streaks suggesting the area had been wiped clean.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"\/>\n<p>The circumstantial evidence all led to Larry\u2019s conviction Thursday, which came without any direct evidence linking him to Maya\u2019s death. No murder weapon or victim was ever found.<\/p>\n<p>Bowles said the killer shouldn\u2019t be let off for hiding a body.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know what he did \u2014 you know why he did it. You just don\u2019t know how,\u201d Bowles told the jury during the prosecution\u2019s closing arguments Tuesday. \u201cThe law does not reward a murderer for successfully hiding a body.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The prosecutor said circumstantial evidence made the case, during a press conference following the verdict.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCircumstantial evidence is equally strong as direct evidence, and in this case we\u2019re just very grateful to the jury for their hard work and for coming to the conclusion that they did,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an honor to do this job and to work on behalf of a family like this. I think for all of us it\u2019s just been an honor to try to do whatever we could on their behalf and to bring justice to their daughter, their sister, their aunt, their loved one,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Maya\u2019s family reminded the public that her sister has still not been found.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Maya\u2019s sister, Maricris Drouaillet, who first reported her missing after not hearing or seeing her after several days, was spotted crying in court Thursday. She grew <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaiinewsnow.com\/2021\/02\/10\/loved-ones-frantically-search-any-sign-missing-radford-alumna-ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">suspicious of Larry <\/a>in the early days of the case after he claimed to her that Maya closed herself in her room and would not come out.<\/p>\n<p>When the family insisted Larry open the door, they discovered Maya was not there. They then filed the missing persons report for the woman.<\/p>\n<p>Drouaillet reminded the public that her sister has still not been found.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJustice probably has been served today, but we still have my sister out there,\u201d she said. \u201cWe still have to bring my sister home and bring her to her three children who have been waiting for five years. We still ask the public for help; one of these days, we can bring her home.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A jury unanimously found San Diego-area husband Larry Millete guilty of murdering his missing wife, Maya, on Thursday after a blockbuster two-month trial. The Navy optician was found guilty of first-degree murder guilty after about five hours of deliberation by the jury, which reviewed evidence that revealed domestic abuse, infidelity and a campaign of fear&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3195,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/133985552.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3194"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3194\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}