May Millette

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Chula Vista Police Department (CA)

Missing From:

Chula Vista, California

Summary:

Maya Millete, a Filipino American woman born May 1, 1981, was a Chula Vista mother of three who went missing on January 7, 2021. She was last seen at the family's house around 5 in the evening after calling a divorce attorney earlier that day. Her husband Larry Millete was arrested and charged with her murder on October 19, 2021, with the body of Maya Millete not yet found as of the time of the arrest.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

Maya was last seen on 01/08/2021 (though other sources indicate 01/07/2021 at approximately 5 p.m.). On January 7, 2021, Millete was last seen at the family's house around 5 in the evening; she had called a divorce attorney earlier that day. Maya's relatives came to check on her on January 8 but were told by Larry that she had remained locked in a room by herself since the previous day. When they returned the following morning and insisted Larry open the door, they found the room empty with no sign of her. Millete's sister, Maricris Drouaillet, then filed a missing persons report with the Chula Vista Police Department. On January 9, Larry spoke to a neighbor saying that he took the Lexus to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and asked the neighbor to detail the vehicle. Eight loud bangs can be heard in an audio recording from January 7, 2021, at approximately 8:30 p.m.

Additional Details:

Maya graduated from Admiral Arthur W. Radford High School, later attending and graduating from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Maya met Larry Millete in high school, after he had moved to Hawaii from San Diego with his family following a juvenile gang related assault arrest in 1997. They later married and he served in the United States Navy for five years. They moved to San Diego, and had three children. Maya Millete, a Filipino American, was a civilian employee of the United States Navy; she last worked as a contract specialist for the Naval Information Warfare Center. In late 2020 their relationship deteriorated, and Larry allegedly became increasingly controlling and paranoid, while suspecting Maya was having an affair. A friend of Maya's alleged that Larry had physically abused her, and that she feared for the safety of their children. Beginning on February 3, 2021, Larry hired an attorney and stopped being cooperative with police. In late July 2021, Larry was named a person of interest by the Chula Vista Police Department. On Tuesday October 19, 2021, Larry Millete was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife Maya. During a press conference announcing the arrest San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan stated that the body of Maya Millete had not yet been found as of the time of the arrest. The arrest came after 67 search warrants had been executed, and 87 interviews had been conducted. On Thursday October 21, 2021, Larry pleaded not guilty at his arraignment at San Diego County Superior Court's South County Court in Chula Vista. Preliminary trial hearings occurred in January 2023, leading to Judge Dwayne Morning ordering Larry to stand trial for the murder of Maya; Larry will be on trial for murder, as well as a firearm possession charge. In April 2025, the judge again delayed the trial until January 2026. In September 2025, the trial was once again delayed until March 9, 2026, which Millete's attorneys said was expected to be the final postponement. However, in January 2026, his attorneys requested another delay with a new trial date set for May 11, 2026. By early December 2021, both Maya's sister and the paternal grandparents had both filed for guardianship of the children. Maya's sister and brother-in-law, Maricris and Richard Drouaillet, were granted custody the missing woman's three children in August, following a drawn-out court battle with the paternal grandparents. In late October, searches were conducted near the Salton Sea, Fish Creek, and Glamis. In early November, searchers returned to Glamis sand dunes; the area of Imperial Gables was also searched in November. On 8 January 2022, a prayer vigil was held commemorating a year of Maya Millete being missing, and searches continued in January including the use of ground penetrating drones. Maya Millete is presumed to be dead.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 23, 2026